Child crime in the Church: 45 victims obtained financial compensation

Europe 1 with AFP 4:33 p.m., September 30, 2022

Forty-five victims of pedocrime in the Church have had or will soon receive financial compensation, announced on Friday the president of the Independent National Authority for Recognition and Reparation (Inirr), who also specified that she had "strengthened" her teams. . 

>> LISTEN - 

Child crime: "We must not only put the Catholic Church on trial"

1,004 repair requests in 9 months

At the end of September, out of 1,004 claims for compensation registered with the Inirr since the beginning of the year, "60 decisions have been rendered, 45 of which include a financial component", declared Marie Derain de Vaucresson during a conference of press which was held almost a year after the publication of the shock report of the Sauvé commission on pedocrime in the Catholic Church since 1950. Created by the episcopate in November 2021, the Inirr offers reparations to victims of priests or lay people in Catholic dioceses, establishments or youth movements, etc. (with the exception of congregations).

The request, when it includes a financial component, is assessed on the basis of "three scales of gravity" and can go up to a maximum of 60,000 euros.

Of these 45 files with a financial component, 23 were paid by Selam, the Fund for the relief and fight against abuse of minors in the Catholic Church, the structure which pays financial reparations once the decisions of the Inirr have been rendered. .

The other 22 decisions "are being finalized" and will soon be sent to this fund, according to Ms. Derain de Vaucresson.

"Out of a sample of 38 decisions, nine received the sum of 60,000 euros, 21 amounts between 15,000 and 30,000 euros, and eight an amount less than 15,000 euros," she said.

>> READ ALSO -

 Child crime in the Church: the faithful "keep the faith but something has broken"

160 situations being processed

And in total, 160 situations are being processed, that is to say that the person is accompanied by a "referent" person.

Some victims also express the need for other recognition - not financial this time - which involves a wish to "write", to participate in a "talk group", to practice "art therapy", or even to "meet a person from the diocese", underlined the president. 

She also indicated that her body was "adjusting its way of working", with the concern for greater "proximity" and "stronger humanization" of support.

"It may take time, but that's because the process is unique," she said.

A telephone service of eight hours per week has been installed.

In addition, the Inirr, which had three salaried referents, has "strengthened" its teams, moving to "seven referents" salaried (who work 3/5ths of the time) and five volunteers.

However, "15 full-time equivalents" would be necessary for this first year, said Ms. Derain, wishing, in the coming weeks, to move to a "clear acceleration" in the processing of requests.

Another body, the Recognition and Reparation Commission (CRR), was created for the victims of aggressors within religious congregations, offering them mediation.

Asked by AFP, she said that out of 400 cases under her jurisdiction, "at least 15 victims were paid by religious congregations", including 4 for amounts relating to the 50,000-60,000 euro bracket.