This Saturday, the Diocese of Leiria-Fatima removed a layman suspected of sexually abusing minors. The position he held in the church was not mentioned, but the religious organization said in a statement that he was removed from office “out of a precautionary measure.”
Diocesan Bishop José Ornelas Carvalho has received a list of five names from the Independent Commission for the Study of Sexual Violence in the Church (CIEAMI). Data that the diocese says has been investigated.
Of the five individuals mentioned, three are deceased priests, two are laymen, and one is yet to be identified, and it may also belong to someone who has already died.
“The Diocese of Leiria-Fatima, its Commission for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults and all of its constituent bodies remain committed, in communion with the entire Church, to welcoming, listening and accompanying victims, and to preventing and appropriately treating any forms of abuse of minors and vulnerable adults who show “zero tolerance” for such situations.