The French Bishops' Conference adopted a coordinated action plan with eleven resolutions on child crime in the Church and support for victims.

Olivier Savignac, president of the association "Parler et revivre" and Vincent Neymon and spokesperson for the French Bishops' Conference welcome a revolution.

Eleven resolutions to fight against sexual violence against minors.

The Catholic Church intends to deploy a coordinated action plan to come to the aid of victims of sexual abuse and to perpetuate these advances.

This historic decision on the part of the Church is greeted by Olivier Savignac, president of the association "Parler et revivre" and victim of abuse and Vincent Neymon, assistant secretary general and spokesperson for the French Bishops' Conference.

Both believe on Europe 1 that this is an important first milestone but which must be continued. 

"The first stone of a process"

"It is the first stone of this process of reparation with regard to the victims. It is fundamental, historic" considers Olivier Savignac.

The president of the association "Speak and relive" believes that "a few months ago we were not there. We must welcome these advances," he believes.

>> Find Europe evening weekend in podcast and in replay here 

A point of view on which Vincent Neymon joins him.

"These are the foundations of something that must now be built in the various resolutions," explains the deputy secretary general and spokesperson for the Conference of Bishops of France.

He thus considers that "it is the end of a first phase and the beginning of another". 

"Make sure it doesn't happen again"

The next step, no doubt also crucial, is the sustainability of these advances.

"We have heard a lot from the victims: 'We are victims but there must be no others, let's put something in place to make this house safer'", reports Vincent Neymon .

A feeling shared by Olivier Salignac.

"The challenge for the Church is to be able to ensure that this does not happen again".

According to him, this means "also to open towards the outside because, what has been deadly, until now, is between oneself".

A financial contribution, but financed by whom?

One of the most important resolutions is the financial contribution to be paid to the victims.

An endowment fund of 5 million euros has been announced.

The objective, as Vincent Neymon reminds us, is to provide "financial assistance" to help people finance "various aids" such as therapy for example.

The assistant secretary general and spokesperson for the French Bishops' Conference specifies that he knows that "money will not repair the suffering of people". 

READ ALSO

- Pedophilia: the "contribution" proposed by the Church is "a scandal", judges a victim

The two men disagree, however, on the source that should make it possible to finance this contribution.

For the Bishops' Conference, this involves a call to the faithful.

For Olivier Savignac, "the faithful can contribute, but that should not be the main source".

"I believe that the war effort would be for this fund to be taken from the resources of the dioceses. It would be a fair recognition of responsibility." 

Several salutary instances

Among the other resolutions adopted Olivier Salignac welcomes "an important creation, that of a nationalized listening cell under the aegis of France victims" which allows "to drop the diocesan cells where we find staff who are not always trained listening ".

An opinion that does not share Vincent Neymon who sees in these diocesan cells "points of support to raise awareness throughout the Church and beyond" on these subjects.

A Council for the prevention and the fight against pedophilia will also see the light of day.

Its objective will be "to oversee all the work that must be undertaken" and marks the "will of the Church" to integrate "vigilance and prevention" into its structures, considers Vincent Neymon.