Grupo Vita reports that 12 victims of violence have approached the Church asking for compensation

At least 12 victims of sexual abuse in the Portuguese Catholic Church have already filed claims for compensation, Grupo Vita said on Sunday, representing a 50% increase from information published a month ago.

According to a note sent to the media by the structure coordinated by psychologist Rute Agulhas, “several people support the process of regular psychological and/or psychiatric observation, and 12 demand financial compensation,” an issue that will be analyzed in April at the plenary session of the assembly of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference ( CEP).

In an interview with Lusa published on February 17, Rute Agulhas said that eight victims filed claims for compensation, and a month later the number had risen to 12.

Grupo Vita also reported that in ten months of operation, 84 people have already contacted it, while a month ago there were 79 calls for help. “52 consultations have been held and more consultations are planned in the near future,” the released note said.

The structure, which is coordinated by Rute Agulhas, also indicated that Vita group specialists will undergo training on Thursday at the Center for Psychological Support and Crisis Intervention of the National Institute of Emergency Medicine (INEM), justifying this situation with the need for advanced training. specialists for “crisis intervention” phone calls in cases of “suicidal or even homicidal thoughts.”

“With regard to training and educational activities for various church structures, activities have already been planned aimed at catechists, teachers of Catholic moral and religious education, teachers of Catholic schools and teachers of public schools (the latter, at the request of the General Directorate of Education). A new cycle of training will also begin, focused on various religious institutions,” the structure added.

Grupo Vita, established in April 2023, can be contacted via its hotline (915090000) or via the registration form on the website www.grupovita.pt.

Grupo Vita arose following the work of the Independent Commission into Child Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church, headed by pediatric psychiatrist Pedro Strecht, which over the course of almost a year confirmed 512 evidence of cases occurring between 1950 and 2022, indicating that to extrapolate to the minimum the number of victims is 4815 people.