Through a letter signed by more than 200 people and institutions, the plaintiffs submitted their claims one day before a religious meeting in the city of Fatima (center) to analyze a report issued last February.
This text is the result of an investigation into cases of pedophilia in the Portuguese Catholic Church from 1950 to the present and collects testimonies and evidence of the abuse of more than 4,800 minors.
In their letter, the signatories called for ways to enable psychological, psychological and spiritual support and assistance to victims and for a new independent commission to continue the previous work.
They assert that the Catholic Church is in crisis and that the challenge is enormous, and call for a “guideline of good practice” to help prevent and identify signs of abuse.
The panel of experts set up by the CEC released a report on February 13 revealing that most of the victims suffered abuse when they were between the ages of 10 and 14 and that 77 percent of the perpetrators were priests.
Although most of the injuries occurred between 1970 and 1990, at least 27 victims were born after that and the youngest is now 6 years old.
The commission also estimates that there are more than 100 active priests suspected of committing these crimes in the country.
An extraordinary plenary session is scheduled to be held tomorrow, Friday, to analyze this report, and this will be followed by a press conference to announce the measures taken by the Catholic Church. mgt/ehl
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