Over 4,000 minors sexually abused in Portugal’s Catholic Church in last 70 years, shocking claim in report

A sensational claim has emerged regarding the Catholic Church of Portugal. An explosive report has claimed that more than 4,000 children were sexually abused by members of the Portuguese Catholic Church over the past 70 years. The commission that released the report said the findings were just the tip of the iceberg and the actual figure could be much higher, news agency Reuters reported. Pedro Streicht, the child psychiatrist who headed the commission, was quoted as saying by Reuters: “We want to pay a true tribute to those who were victims of abuse during their childhood.

He said that they are more than a statistic. Most of the perpetrators were priests and most of the victims were men. Streich said she was abused in Catholic schools, churches, clergy houses, and among other places. Most of the sexual abuse took place when the children were aged 10–14, with the youngest victim being just two years old. The Portuguese Catholic Church was rocked last year by cases of an alleged cover-up of sexual abuse involving bishops who were active in church roles. The commission said it is preparing a list of accused priests who are still working.

A total of 25 witnesses heard by the commission were referred to the public prosecutor’s office for examination, as all others were done 20 years ago and legal proceedings could no longer be initiated. The commission said that the law should be changed so that legal action can be initiated for historical crimes committed 30 years ago.