This Wednesday, Jean-Marc Sauvé was auditioned by the National Assembly's Law Commission two weeks after the submission of his report which revealed a significant number of sexual abuses of minors within the Church since the 1950s The president of the Commission on pedocriminality in the Catholic Church affirmed that the public authorities could not "stand by and do nothing".

In this regard, he recalled the existence of the Incest Commission (Ciivise), set up by the public authorities at the start of the year and which has been collecting testimonies since September.

As for feminicides, Jean-Marc Sauvé stressed that it was necessary to have "the same requirements" on sexual violence against children.

"We do not call for any modification of the legislation", he stressed, however, recalling the position of his Commission not to touch the (current) limitation period.

He also specified that he and his commission were to meet the Pope in "December".

Obligation to report assaults "within the framework of confession"

“The numbers we found are anything but reassuring,” he said. The report estimated the number of victims in the Catholic Church at 330,000 over the past seventy years. He also estimated that 5.5 million people over the age of 18 have been sexually assaulted during their minority in the entire French population. "Every day, 450 new minors are attacked in our society", added Jean-Marc Sauvé, speaking of "social and health disaster".

He also reaffirmed the obligation according to him to denounce assaults, including "in the context of confession".

On the offense of non-denunciation, the president of the law committee, Yaël Braun-Pivet, questioned by the association of parliamentary journalists on Wednesday, left open the hypothesis that the legislator is seizing the subject.

“I don't think it's that clear in public opinion or in the opinion of some.

We would prefer to see whether there are indeed needs for the legislator to clarify things so that there is no ambiguity, ”she declared.

What financial compensation for the victims

Jean-Marc Sauvé was also questioned on the financing by the Church of the device allowing to pay a form of financial reparation to the victims.

But “the financial and patrimonial situations of the dioceses in France are radically different, depending on whether one is in Paris, Lyon, Lille.

The same goes for the congregations, ”he stressed.

"There must be internal solidarity with the Catholic Church, for this affair (...) which will cost money", he recommended.

It is about "implementing a pooling, a solidarity through one or two endowment funds (...) that of the dioceses on the one hand and that of the congregations on the other", he said. recommended.

Jean-Marc Sauvé is due to be heard by the Senate Law Commission on October 28.

World

Vatican: While the Church is shaken by the Sauvé report, the Pope receives Jean Castex this Monday

Justice

Pedocriminality in the Church: Gérald Darmanin affirms that priests must denounce abuses to justice

  • Sexual assault

  • Child

  • National Assembly

  • Law

  • Government

  • Religion

  • Priest

  • Pedocriminality

  • Society