Pedocriminality in the Church in Spain: the law of silence and lies
Interior view of the Sagrada Familia, in Barcelona.
Europa Press via Getty Images - Europa Press News
Text by: François Musseau Follow
3 min
While in France, we learn that, according to an independent commission on sexual abuse in the Church, there have been at least 10,000 cases of sexual violence since 1950, in Spain, the Episcopal Conference continues to downplay the cases and to present them as a series of isolated cases.
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From our correspondent in Madrid
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For the first time, the Spanish bishops' conference recognized the existence of cases of pedophilia within it and declared itself ready to compensate the victims in question.
These complaints can only come through the bishoprics, which deal with them on a case-by-case basis, in an individualized manner.
But, the Spanish ecclesiastical authorities have repeated it: there will not be, as in other countries, a general investigation into sexual abuse in the Church, nor even the implementation of any commission of investigation in the 70 dioceses of the country.
Spain, a country with a strong Catholic history
Due to the denial and opacity of the Episcopal Conference, one can get the impression that the ravages of pedophilia have spared Spain.
The spokesperson for the bishops recognizes 7 or 8 cases.
At the beginning of February, the company of Jesus, the Jesuits, had announced the result of an internal investigation and admitted a total of 61 cases of sexual abuse committed since 1927. Added to the figures provided by other religious orders, this would lead to a total of 126 cases.
A ridiculous statistic compared to those provided by other Western countries such as Germany, the United States, France.
Total omerta
In Spain, there is a problem of credibility denounced by victims' associations and a tradition of silence on the part of the ecclesiastical authorities.
It dates back to the Franco dictatorship that ruled the country for 40 years.
And it is very difficult to change this rigidity, this place of secrecy in Spanish society.
Twenty years ago the pedophilia scandal in the Church in the United States had no impact, the pedophilia summit in the Vatican two years ago no more.
The only effect was the opening of the attention desk for victims of sexual abuse committed by priests, because the Pope had forced Spain to do so.
But the silence of the Church is accompanied by the silence of the State, which to this day has not created any commission of inquiry into these crimes.
► To read also:
Pédocriminalité in the Church of France: “at least 10,000 victims” since 1950
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