Ombudsman registers 445 church sex abuse complaints in Spain
14-Mar-2023
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Ombudsman, a Government official who deals with complaints made by ordinary people against public organizations, registered 445 church sex abuse complaints in Spain. An independent commission set up a year ago to investigate historic sex abuse by the Catholic church has collected testimonies from 445 victims.
On March 10, 2022, Spain's Parliament passed a law to open the first official investigation, led by ombudsman Ángel Gabilondo, into the extent of sexual abuse committed by priests and church officials. The government was forced to act after allegations of abuse involving more than 1,200 victims were published in Spanish newspaper El País, provoking public outrage.
According to the PTI's report published on March 14, 2023, a Madrid-based law firm is conducting a parallel inquiry ordered by the Spanish Episcopal Conference, which for years rejected the idea of taking a comprehensive approach to investigating sex abuse.
So far, significant cases of abuse in churches have come to light worldwide. Christian priests have sexually abused not only children but also nuns and other female staff in churches. Like Western countries, India, too, observed similar cases. In most cases, child sexual abuse has been observed in church-run orphanages. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has registered cases and issued notices to the respective Government agencies after the revelations. Significant Christian priests have been convicted of child sexual abuse, while the remaining cases are under investigation.
Indiafaith Staff
Indiafaith Staff