MADRID (SPAIN)
La Croix International [Montrouge Cedex, France]
November 22, 2024
By La Croix (with AFP)
Spain’s ombudsman, Angel Gabilondo, urged the state and the Catholic Church to work together to compensate victims of sexual abuse by clergy—something the church hierarchy has so far refused to do.
“I consider it essential that for the sake of the victims [of sexual abuse], the church and the state adopt common commitments,” Ángel Gabilondo, Spain’s ombudsman, said.
Addressing the Congress of Deputies November 21, Gabilondo presented the findings of an independent commission of inquiry into clerical sexual abuse.
The report, coordinated by the Spanish ombudsman, was made public in October 2023. It estimated that 200,000 minors had been victims of sexual assault by Catholic clergy in Spain since 1940, with that figure rising to 400,000 when including assaults by lay workers affiliated with the church.
[Further reading: Catholic bishops in Spain contest figures in sex abuse report]
It is necessary to “prioritize reparations for the victims over any ideological or religious differences,” Gabilondo stressed, lamenting that, unlike countries such as France, Germany, Ireland, the United States, or Australia, Spain has yet to take meaningful action on this issue.
In April, Spain’s left-wing government approved a plan to implement the report’s recommendations, including the creation of a public fund to compensate victims. However, it has criticized the church for refusing to contribute financially to this initiative.
For all victims of sexual abuse
The Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), which presented its own compensation plan in July but has yet to implement it, has refused to participate in the public fund unless it is open to all minor victims of sexual abuse in Spain, not just those abused within the church.
The government has responded, saying it “will not accept any unilateral system” proposed by the Catholic Church.
[Further reading: Spanish lawmakers set up commission on clergy sex abuse]
Several victim advocacy groups have criticized the church for excluding them from the process of developing its reparations plan.
After years of denial, the Spanish Catholic Church agreed in 2022 to investigate sexual abuse within its ranks. While challenging the figures cited in the ombudsman’s report, the CEE commissioned an audit by a law firm, which identified approximately 2,056 victims.