Portuguese Church struggles to adopt concrete measures to tackle child sexual abuse
Fatma, Portugal Reuters Portugal’s Catholic Church announced a handful of steps on Friday to tackle child sexual abuse within the church – but it said suspected priests still in active roles would not be suspended unless the facts against them were clearly established. The head of Portugal’s Bishops’ Conference (CEP), Jose Ornelas, also said that […]
Thousands of children abused by members of Portugal’s Catholic Church over 70 years – report
Lisbon, PortugalReuters At least 4,815 children were sexually abused by members of the Portuguese Catholic Church – mostly priests – over the past 70 years, a report by the commission investigating the issue said on Monday, adding the findings are the tip of the iceberg. “[We want] to pay a sincere tribute to those who […]
Portugal urges victims of clergy sexual abuse to break the silence
Lisbon, PortugalReuters A commission investigating allegations of historical child sexual abuse by members of the Portuguese Catholic church urged victims on Thursday to speak up and help them lift a veil of silence around the issue. “We want [victims] to report, finally and without fear, what happened to them,” the head of the newly-created commission, […]