• At the end of the Plenary Assembly bringing together the 120 bishops of France, their representative announced on Monday a series of measures and a timetable to fight against child crime in the Church.

  • After having recognized an “institutional responsibility” in the pedophile acts which touched nearly 300,000 people since 1950, the Church will create a compensation fund for victims.

  • An important step hailed by the associations, which however regret a lack of "concrete" measures and the Pope's silence.

What answers can be given to the victims after the suffering endured? One month after the submission of the report of the Sauvé commission on sexual crimes committed in the Church, the institution announced this Monday, November 8 a series of measures to fight against child crime. On the occasion of their plenary assembly organized in Lourdes, the 120 bishops of France delivered their resolutions against this "systemic" violence and abuse which, according to the Sauvé commission, has affected nearly 330,000 people since 1950.

Recognizing its “institutional responsibility”, the Church of France announced the establishment of a victim compensation fund piloted by an independent national body and financed by borrowing or the sale of property - including real estate.

A national canonical criminal court must also be installed by next April.

Progress deemed "positive" by associations representing victims, which however call for more "concrete" actions.

"It was long"

"You must pay for all your crimes," François Devaux had launched to the heads of the dioceses during the submission of the report of the Ciase, the independent commission on sexual abuse in the Church. A month later, at the end of the press conference held by the representative of the bishops of France, the co-founder of the association La Parole libérée greeted a "real awareness". "These announcements are going in the right direction, it is a very good thing, even if it was long, notes François Devaux. I heard a serious word with a concern for transparency and an openness to dialogue. Even if these are only commitments, the Church has given a methodology and a precise timetable. "

A feeling shared by Olivier Savignac, co-founder of the Parler et revivre association, which welcomes victims of priests and religious.

" It's positive.

Finally, when the Church is up against the wall, she responds positively to the requests and recommendations made to her.

But I do say "when she's up against the wall", "he reacts to 

20 Minutes.

  The methods of financing compensation for victims were particularly expected: “The institution has a debt towards children and vulnerable people who have been abused.

It is not a gift.

The fact that she agrees to dispossess some of her wealth to help repair the devastation that these abuses have been in the lives of all the victims is a strong signal.

"

The role of the state and the pope singled out

But their expectations remain immense. Raped by a priest between 8 and 11 years old, Arnaud Gallais regrets the lack of details on this compensation process and on the amounts that could be granted to the victims. He also denounces the “disengagement” of the State in this fight against pedocriminality in the Church. “What other institution is granted the right to self-inflict punishment? None. At the slightest questionable sermon delivered in a mosque, the state intervenes. There, we have 330,000 rapes or sexual assaults committed on children and nothing, not a word. I'm angry, ”he says.

Beyond the role of the State, François Devaux points out for his part the absence of “voluntarism” of the Pope on this subject. “The Ciase report said it: as long as we do not reform the system, the abuses will continue. However, the Pope is content to express his shame at each new commission without ever recognizing the institutional responsibility of the Church throughout the world. The situation is progressing for the French victims and that is a good thing, but the bishops risk being quickly blocked by Rome's lack of voluntarism, ”he fears.

Finally, the section devoted to the prevention of pedophile acts is sorely lacking in the response provided by the French bishops, considers Olivier Savignac for his part.

“Nine working groups will be set up but none specifically addresses this issue.

However, the Church has a role to play, for her but vis-à-vis the whole of society, ”he said.

All the more so as the training of religious and lay people who work with children or vulnerable groups is of concern to many victims.

“What they expect is that today's children never know what they've been through.

They refuse to let all of this continue, ”he concludes.

Society

Pedocriminality in the Church: The compensation fund for victims financed by "property" or a "loan"

Society

Pedocriminality in the Church: The Bishops recognize an “institutional responsibility” after the Sauvé report

  • Religion

  • Vatican

  • Society

  • Pope

  • bishop

  • Sexual violence

  • Child

  • Rape

  • Church