The Catholic Church has completed the process of providing financial compensation to victims of sexual abuse. The amounts to be paid are in the order of nine to 45 thousand euros, with 57 requests already approved, announced the Portuguese Episcopal Conference (CEP). In total, the compensations will cost more than one million euros.
According to a statement released this Thursday (March 26), during the period for submission of requests, 95 requests were received. Of these, 78 were considered eligible for final consideration and 17 were temporarily archived. There are still nine requests in the final stage of analysis to define the amount and one pending request, awaiting a decision, in addition to 11 more rejections.
The church explains that the refusals were caused by “situations in which the reporting person was of legal age at the time of the events and it was not established that he or she was a vulnerable adult; situations in which the accused person did not belong to the clergy, nor exercised functions or responsibilities in the context of the Church; and situations that did not constitute violence of a sexual nature”.
CEP spokesperson, Manuel Barbosa, addressed the victims with “deep respect for their pain and with the awareness that we are facing deep wounds, which have marked their lives in a lasting way”. Once again, he states “recognizing the gravity of the suffering experienced, so often carried in silence for years, we truly thank you for the testimony you entrusted to us and we renew our request for forgiveness for all the harm caused”.
It is also recognized that money “does not erase what happened nor eliminate the consequences of abuse in the lives of those who suffered it”. The objective of the payment is “to recognize the suffering and dignity of each person who has suffered such attacks, seeking possible reparation for the damages suffered”.
The gesture is defined not as an “isolated gesture, but part of a responsibility that the Church must humbly assume, part of a broader commitment that includes listening, monitoring, prevention and intervention through competent structures”.
He further says that the closure of the payments chapter “does not mean the end of the responsibility” of the church. “We will continue to be available to welcome, listen and accompany victims, and we reaffirm our commitment to pursuing a culture of accountability, care and prevention.”
The objective is “to ensure, as much as possible, that situations of abuse do not happen again and that ecclesiastical environments are safe spaces capable of protecting all people”.
amanda.lima@dn.pt
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