AUSTRALIA
In Daily
Seven per cent of Australia’s Catholic priests were alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse between 1950 and 2010, according to an analysis released by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
The royal commission had sought information about claims received by the Australian Catholic Church between 1980 and 2015.
“Between January 1980 and February 2015, 4444 people alleged incidents of child sexual abuse made to 93 Catholic Church authorities,” counsel assisting Gail Furness SC said her opening address at a commission hearing in Sydney today.
The average age of abuse victims was 10.5 for girls and 11.6 for boys. And the average time between the alleged abuse occurring and the date a claim was made was 33 years.
The royal commission also asked 75 Catholic Church authorities about who ministered in Australia between 1950 and 2010. It also looked at information provided by 10 religious orders.
It found more than 40 per cent of St John of God Brothers were alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse, along with 7.9 per cent of diocesan priests and 5.7 of religious priests.
“Overall, seven per cent of priests were alleged perpetrators,” Furness told the commission.
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