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View from St. Peter's Square to the sky: In 2022, there were also numerous victims of abuse in the Italian Church
Photo: Alessandra Tarantino / dpa
In 2022, 54 people have been victims of alleged abuse in the Italian Church. This emerges from a report by the Italian Bishops' Conference (CEI), which has now been published in Rome. The data from the survey also states that 32 alleged perpetrators have been reported to the CEI. Most reports of abuse relate to physical cases, with only a fraction of cases occurring online.
Girls and women particularly affected
Predominantly girls between the ages of 15 and 18 were affected, according to the report. With regard to the gender of the alleged victims, girls and women in particular have been victims of abuse, accounting for 44 out of 54 cases. The alleged perpetrators are therefore mainly clergy and few lay people.
The president of the Italian Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, expressed dismay at the results and assured victims of abuse in the Catholic Church of sympathy and support. "Everyone, even after years, is listened to. Even after years, we continue to carry out an internal process," says Zuppi. For him, there is no statute of limitations as far as abuse is concerned.
aeh/dpa