MADRID (SPAIN)
La Croix International [France]
February 28, 2025
By La Croix (with AFP)
The Spanish Catholic Church announced February 27 that it has put in place its mechanism for compensating victims of sexual assaults committed by clergy. According to the press, the commission began its work at the end of last year.
The Spanish Catholic Church, criticized for years for its inaction regarding sexual assaults committed by clergy, announced that it has put in place its compensation mechanism.
“The comprehensive reparation plan for victims of abuse is operational (…) Cases presented by congregations, dioceses, or directly by victims are already being handled,” declared Auxiliary Bishop Francisco García Magán of Toledo, secretary general of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), during a February 27 press conference.
However, he did not specify how long the mechanism has been operational and said he did not know how much compensation has already been granted, as the commission responsible for awarding them “operates autonomously.”
Further reading: In Spain, church and state urged to compensate victims of sexual abuse
The prelate concluded that after it has been in existence for a year, “this commission will report on its work, and until then, there will be no further information.”
According to the Spanish press, the commission began its work at the end of last year.
Negotiations over the creation of a state fund
Under pressure from Spain’s left-wing government and the ombudsman, who coordinated the first investigation into sexual assaults against minors committed by clergy, the Catholic Church approved the creation of a mechanism to compensate victims last July.
Several victim support associations denounced that the church had excluded them while developing its reparation plan.
Furthermore, the prelate indicated that the church is continuing negotiations with the government over the creation of a state fund to compensate victims, a proposal already included in a plan approved by the executive in April 2024.
Further reading: A new website to “shed light” on clergy sex abuse in Spain
However, the CEE refused to participate in the fund unless it is open to all victims of child sexual abuse in the country, not just victims of the church.
After years of denial, the Spanish Catholic Church finally agreed in 2022 to investigate sexual abuse within its ranks.
A report by the ombudsman, commissioned by the Spanish Parliament, estimated that 200,000 minors had been victims of sexual assaults by Catholic clergy in Spain since 1940—a figure that rose to 400,000 when including assaults committed by laypeople working for the church.
Questioning these numbers, the CEE commissioned an audit from a law firm, which reported 1,057 “registered cases” across its various dioceses, but only 358 were deemed “proven” or “credible.”
Further reading: Newspaper forces reluctant Spanish bishops to face sex abuse crisis