The Catholic Church is ready to help victims of sexual violence financially, with about 30 people receiving financial assistance for psychological treatment, the president of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference said Thursday.
“We are talking about the fact that we want to restore as much as possible, also from a financial point of view, the people who were really victims of these abuses,” José Ornelas said at a press conference in Fatima after the regular plenary assembly. POSTCODE.
Also, the Bishop of the Diocese of Leiria-Fatima explained that he was talking about compensation for damages instead of compensation, “to avoid the period of compensation”, which is legal and “means that the decision is made by the court.”
“If someone sues for compensation, we will follow the law,” he assured, reiterating that “keeping the law also means that whoever is responsible for compensation is a wrongdoer, that person has committed evil.”
However, he acknowledged that there could be “procedural obligations” if an ecclesiastical institution “contributed to evil,” referring, again, to court-determined situations.
“Whether people are filing claims for compensation or not, we’re reaching out to people to say ‘we’re ready to make amends’,” he assured, adding that “at least 30 people are receiving financial support” so far. to receive psychological or psychiatric treatment.
On the other hand, he clarified that the bishops are committed to “creating professional support groups to help” the victims, but “neither psychologist, nor psychiatrist, nor lawyer will be imposed on anyone.”
When asked about the possibility of the Pope meeting with victims of sexual abuse by members of the Church during World Youth Day, which takes place in Lisbon from August 1 to 6, the President of the WSI explained that “this question has been asked, but clearly depends on the pope.”
Adding that after contacting victims of sexual abuse who informed him that their suffering was priceless, José Ornelas assured that the Church was ready to “meet people, talk to them and find redress for the damage done to them, which is Yes.”
“We are not relinquishing any of these responsibilities, and what we offer is a dialogue with people to find out exactly how we can help them correct the situation that has been caused by such injustice and such drama,” he added.
In March, at an extraordinary Plenary Meeting, the President of the CEP sent any compensation for victims of sexual violence to their perpetrators, indicating that compensation would not be paid by the institution.
“As far as victim support is concerned, the issue of compensation is clear in both canon law and civil law. If there is an evil that someone has done, then it is the one who is responsible in terms of compensation,” said José Ornelas.
The Catholic Church’s Independent Commission for the Study of Child Sexual Abuse confirmed 512 of the 564 testimonies received, extrapolating to a minimum number of victims of about 4,815.
Twenty-five cases were reported to the prosecutor’s office, resulting in 15 investigations, nine of which have already been archived and six are still under investigation.
These testimonies refer to cases that took place between 1950 and 2022, the period covered by the commission’s work.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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