The Jesuits in France said that in five years, 19 Jesuit priests had been implicated by testimonies for sexual abuse covering the period 1950-2019, three of whom were sentenced by the court, in a statement Wednesday.
Fifteen are dead, three have been sentenced
The Jesuits of France set up a reception and listening unit in 2014. The latter "collected testimonies from 28 people implicating 19 Jesuit priests for sexual abuse in France, including thirteen on minors and six on major ", specifies the Community of Jesus. Of these 19 Jesuits, fifteen died.The majority of the facts denounced occurred between 1950 and 1980, especially in schools then under the tutelage of the Society of Jesus in Paris, Nantes, Le Mans, Lille, Toulouse and Vannes "she continues.
"Of the four Jesuits who are still alive, three have been convicted by the criminal justice system, while the fourth is seeking information and is no longer active," she said.
Call to testimonials
The community, which specifies that this cell "works in full collaboration with the civil justice and the ecclesiastical justice", affirms to be "determined to take a lucid and uncompromising look on its past" and adds to having "conscience that all the testimonies are not not yet reached her. It encourages victims to also make themselves known to the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church (CIASE) chaired by Jean-Marc Sauvé and who launched a call for evidence at the beginning of June and for one year.
The community today has more than 400 members in France, including about 100 foreign Jesuits in training, against nearly 1,500 members in 1970. At the end of December, the American Jesuits had promised transparency on pedophileism in their ranks, publishing the names more than 200 priests "targeted by credible accusations" since the 1950s. Also in December, in Spain, the Jesuits announced that they had opened an internal investigation into possible sexual abuse of minors in schools in Catalonia.