This Wednesday, Parliament unanimously approved a hearing of the Independent Commission for the Study of Sexual Abuse of Minors in the Church, the President of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference and the Minister of Justice, among other organizations.
The requests submitted by PS, PSD and Chega were unanimously approved – by the votes of the parties present PS, PSD, Chega and BE – in the Parliamentary Commission on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees.
Three parties have requested a hearing from the Independent Commission on Child Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church to hear on the report’s findings.
At the suggestion of the PS, a hearing was held by the Portuguese Association for the Support of Victims, the National Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Children and Youth and the Association Quebrar o Silêncio on “the characteristics of the victimization of child victims of sexual violence, their needs and the rights they must guarantee”.
To the original request PS added a request to hear the Portuguese Episcopal Conference (CEP) and the Escutas National Organ.
The Parliamentary Commission also approved the PSD’s proposal to hear, in addition to the independent commission, the Instituto de Apoio à Criança (IAC), the National Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Children, and the Minister of Justice, Catarina Sarmento. Castro on the independent commission’s recommendations, “some of which require legislative intervention.”
Chega also filed a request to hear not only an independent commission, but also the Minister of Justice, as well as the President of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference, José Ornelas, from the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon, Manuel Clemente, in order to “express the point of view of the Catholic Church.” about the announced paradigm shift in this matter.”
During the debate, PS MP Claudia Santos said that the independent commission’s report revealed “the victimization of children over many decades” and also identified “aggressors, mostly men from the Catholic Church, who used the power they have over children to commit very serious crimes against them”, causing “damage that will never be permanently repaired”.
The MP defended the importance of “preventing future crimes” and called for deep reflection on the topic, as well as the search for “solutions, namely in terms of risk assessment programs and the implementation of compliance programs in organizations dealing with children. “.
Regarding the PSD, Paula Cardoso said that the report’s findings were “a punch in the gut” and that “the recommendations made” in the document “cannot be completely ignored”, emphasizing that “some need some legislative intervention”.
“In this sense, and in order to help us get through this legislative path, we believe that listening to these organizations is very useful, and their contribution is extremely important,” he stressed.
Bruno Nunez of Chega defended that, given the “demeaning image” presented in the report, “the Assembly of the Republic cannot apologize for not listening, passing laws and taking a stand for the future.”
“The latest statements that have been made may further confuse and reinforce the bad image of a secular institution,” he said.
Joana Mortagua of British Columbia lamented the crimes “without reparation” and criticized the Catholic Church’s response by “giving up its responsibilities as an institution”.
The Catholic Church’s Independent Commission for the Study of Child Sexual Abuse verified 512 testimonies, extrapolating to at least 4,815 victims. Twenty-five cases were sent to the State Department, which opened 15 investigations, nine of which were closed.
The commission transmitted a list of the alleged rapists, some of whom were active, to the Portuguese Episcopal Conference, which forwarded to the dioceses a decision to dismiss the priests suspected of rape and declined to award compensation to the victims.
On Sunday, Cardinal Patriarch Manuel Clemente of Lisbon lifted the suspension of alleged priests who abused minors without “proven facts to be refuted” and a canonical process conducted by the Holy See.
Psychiatrist Daniel Sampaio on Monday denied that the Church had received a list with the names of abusive priests, without further information on reported cases, calling the bishops’ stance “postponing the issue.”
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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