An independent commission in Spain has estimated that the Roman Catholic clergy sexually abused over 200,000 minors since 1940. While the report did not provide an exact figure, a survey of over 8,000 individuals found that 0.6 percent of Spain’s adult populace, roughly 39 million people, reported they were victims of sexual abuse by clergy members during their childhood.
This figure escalated to 1.13 percent, equating to over 400,000 individuals when abuse by lay members was incorporated, revealed Spain’s national ombudsman, Angel Gabilondo, during a press conference held last Friday. The conference was convened to discuss the findings of the report, extending over 700 pages.
This recent disclosure from Spain adds to the list of sexual abuse scandals that have shaken the Roman Catholic Church globally in the last two decades, often involving minors.
In the course of their investigation, the commission spoke with 487 victims. According to Gabilondo, these victims emphasised the emotional trauma they endured due to the abuse. He added, “There are people who have [committed suicide], people who have never been able to rebuild their lives.”
Teresa Conde, a philosophy educator who was molested by a friar from the age of 14 for several years, confessed that the abuse has left her forever changed. She told the AFP news agency, “I am never going to be a normal person,” adding that she would never cease therapy or medication.
While clerical abuse allegations have gained momentum in other countries, Spain, a historically Catholic nation that has now become largely secular, only recently started paying heed to these accusations. This delay has led to claims of evasion by survivors.
The report criticised the Catholic Church’s response, stating it has been marked by denial and efforts to minimise the issue. The report recommended the establishment of a state fund to compensate the victims.
Gabilondo commented, “Unfortunately, for many years there has been a certain desire to deny abuses or a desire to conceal or protect the abusers.”
In March 2022, Spain’s parliament approved the formation of an independent commission helmed by the country’s ombudsman to investigate clerical abuse. The Spanish Catholic Church, which initially declined to conduct an internal investigation, did not participate in the probe but cooperated by providing documents on sexual abuse cases collected by dioceses.
Amid mounting political pressure, the Church commissioned a private law firm in February 2022 to conduct an audit into past and present sexual abuse by clergy, teachers, and other Church associates. This audit is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The Church has also established protocols to address sexual abuse and has created child protection offices within dioceses.
The Spanish bishops’ conference, when contacted by AFP, stated that they would respond to the commission’s report in an extraordinary meeting on Monday.
Pedro Sanchez, Spain’s Prime Minister, described the report’s release as a “milestone” in the nation’s democratic history. He stated, “Today, we are a slightly better country, because a reality that everyone was for years aware of but no one talked about, has been made known.”
Juan Cuatrecasas, a founding member of the “Infancia Robada” (Stolen Childhood) victims’ association and a father of an abused youth, urged lawmakers to ensure reparations are made. He told AFP, “This must be the start of something, not an end in itself.”
