An independent commission investigating the sexual abuse of minors within the Portuguese Catholic Church said Monday that documented cases indicate the existence of at least 4,815 victims.
The commission, set up by the Portuguese Episcopal Conference to examine abuse in recent decades, added that this is “the tip of the iceberg.”
Presenting the report, the commission’s president, child psychiatrist Pedro Strecht, said its aim is to “give voice to the silence” of the victims.
Strecht used the occasion to pay tribute to the hundreds who contacted his staff to provide testimony.
“They have a voice, they have a name,” he declared.
In all, the commission documented 564 experiences of people who said they had been abused by priests or other church members.
Cases dating back to 1950 were analyzed.
In many cases, the testimonies indicated that other minors were abused, hence the estimate of victims exceeds several thousand.
Throughout his presentation, Strecht quoted testimony from victims and highlighted the impact the abuse had on them.
He mentioned one victim who said she had been living in a “black hole.”
The president of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference, José Ornelas, bishop of Leiria-Fatima, will reportedly make a statement.
On Sunday, Ornelas indicated that he received the report “with gratitude” and that an extraordinary session scheduled for March 3 will consider how best to offer “justice” to the victims.
According to the commission, a total of 25 cases have been sent to prosecutors. Many others fell outside the statute of limitations.
Among the recommendations made in the report is that, in cases of alleged sexual abuse of minors, the existing 25-year stipulation for victims to file a criminal complaint be raised to 30 years, even if the statute of limitations applies.