There have been “between 2,900 and 3,200 pedophiles”, priests or people who have belonged to the Catholic Church in France since 1950, Jean-Marc Souve, chairman of the National Commission investigating pedophilia in the Church, told AFP.
“This is a minimal assessment” based on the records and counting from records (Church, justice, crime prosecution police and the press) and the testimonies received from that authority, he added. It is a number that refers to a total population of 115,000 priests or people who belonged to the Catholic Church of France during this period of 70 years.
After two and a half years of work, the Independent Committee on Sexual Abuse in the Church (Ciase) delivers its conclusions the day after Tuesday in a report, which, including the annexes, will total “2,500 pages”, he explained.
The report will give a quantitative picture of the phenomenon, and in particular the number of victims. It will contrast sexual violence in the Church with that which has been identified in other institutions (sports clubs, schools και) and in the family circle.
The committee will also evaluate the “mechanisms, mainly institutional and cultural” that favored pedophilia and will present 45 proposals.
