Commission discovers 200,000 children impacted by sexual abuse within the Spanish Church

An independent commission in Spain has revealed that over 200,000 children have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of the country's Catholic clergy. The investigation, led by Spain's ombudsman, described the devastating impact on the victims and criticized the Church for its inaction and attempts to conceal or deny the abuse. The report, which was ordered by Spain's Congress, surveyed 800,000 members of the public and found that 0.6% of adults, approximately 39 million people, had experienced sexual abuse as children by clergy members. When including alleged abuse by lay people in Church institutions, the percentage rose to 1.13%, which equates to over 400,000 individuals. The report also included testimony from over 487 abuse survivors who emphasized the emotional toll they endured. As a response, the ombudsman proposed the creation of a state fund to compensate victims. The official inquiry was prompted by a 2018 investigation by El Pais newspaper, which has since compiled a database of more than 1,000 alleged abuse cases. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hailed the report as a significant step forward for the country's democracy, while also acknowledging the Church's limited cooperation and the resistance of certain bishops.