EL PAÍS launched an investigation into pedophilia in the Spanish church in 2018 and has an updated database of all known cases. If you know of a case that has not yet come to light, you can write to us at: [email protected]. If it concerns a case in Latin America, the address is: [email protected].
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The severity of Ombudsman Ángel Gabilondo’s report on pedophilia in the clergy has surprised the leadership of the Spanish Church, according to church sources. A blow of this magnitude was not expected and, above all, it was not expected that there would be a large-scale survey that would provide statistical estimates of the phenomenon beyond the specific cases recorded through interviews with victims . As in France, where a study by the Church itself estimated 330,000 religious victims, in Spain the estimated figures are staggering: 1.13% of today’s adult population, a percentage equivalent to about 440,000 people, report having suffered abuse . in childhood in church institutions. The Bishops’ Conference (CEE) urgently called an extraordinary meeting for this Monday, which was completely unusual, and remained silent throughout Friday.
Finally, this Saturday, 24 hours later, a tweet from its president, Cardinal Juan José Omella, revealed the first reaction and marked the final point: “The figures extrapolated by some media are lies and are intended to deceive.” He later added in gratitude for the work “So many good priests and religious” added: “Thank you for accepting criticism and even defamation in the style of Jesus.”
The results of surveys carried out in other countries, such as France, suggest similar estimates, although the comparison must be made with caution as the methodology was not the same in all cases. For example, the Dutch Commission conducted a survey of 34,267 people over 40 years old on this topic. 14% reported having suffered abuse outside the family environment and 1.7% within the Catholic Church. In Germany, the sample included 2,437 people over the age of 14: 3.1% had suffered sexual abuse in a religious institution. Although the commission did not give any percentages in the Irish case, it stressed that cases of pedophilia were “endemic” in religious environments. In none of these cases did the Church question the validity of the reports.
In addition to the surprise, there is also disagreement among the bishops about how to respond to the report. According to the same sources, some even consider it a mistake to call an extraordinary meeting because it gives importance to a report that they would like to ignore. However, an attack on the Ombudsman’s work is not shared by the industry that is most keen to openly acknowledge the scandal. This internal rift becomes even clearer when one compares the reaction of the bishops with that of the religious orders, where in reality most cases of abuse occur. The response from the Confer – the Spanish Confederation of Religious, to which the most important Spanish orders belong – came on the same Friday and was completely different: “At the Confer we apologize to all the victims who have suffered sexual abuse within the Church. “We deeply identify with your pain and regret if at any time we have not acted properly.” In a statement, he assessed the Ombudsman’s audience “positively” and announced that he would take his suggestions into account: “We will “Work with religious institutions on the various aspects presented in the report in order to repair the damage caused.”
There were other dioceses in the same direction, such as that of Vitoria, which through the social network “The main thing is to accompany them and work for justice.” “Not a single case of pedophilia or abuse would never have been allowed within the Church be allowed to,” he explained. “We would like to express our gratitude to all the institutions that have worked in recent decades to alleviate the suffering of the victims.” Other bishops consulted by this newspaper confirm that they have not yet read the Ombudsman’s report and prefer not to make any statements although they emphasize that “everything that serves to improve awareness of the victims” and so that we all propose a better future “is”. Welcome,” says one of them, who did not want to be named.
In the most conservative sector, however, the Bishop of Orihuela-Alicante, José Ignacio Munilla, was very critical on social networks: “It is unacceptable that the Spanish Parliament has asked the Ombudsman to investigate sexual abuse within the Church; and that they are now finally providing us with the results of a survey commissioned from a consulting firm… In order to do this – to commission a survey – it was obvious that the Ombudsman was not necessary.”
The Ombudsman’s report points out precisely this attitude of denial on the part of the Church, since “quantifying the dimension of the problem is always a necessity if we want to know the relevance and extent of a phenomenon that is social and not just individual .” A need that “also arises from the fact that certain actors have often denied (usually without providing data) that abuses are a widespread problem within the Catholic Church.” Certain church spokesmen have stated that the media or some policy areas want to give the impression of a general problem based on individual cases, ignoring that the risk of suffering sexual abuse is higher in the family or in other environments such as sports activities.”
But there is also another vertical break in the church, between the hierarchy and the rank and file, which is reflected in the perspective of a priest who works on the ground and accompanies and helps victims of abuse: “I think the ombudsman’s report is something really positive “This will hopefully help the Church take seriously the pain of its victims and implement comprehensive reparation mechanisms adapted to the needs and specificities of each victim,” says Father Luis Alfonso Zamorano. “Several victims called me crying with emotion because they finally felt that a door of hope had been opened to them, a door that had often been closed to them by the Church.” It is noted that the investigation involved 487 victims has given a voice “representing many other thousands who, for various reasons, have never been able or will never be able to break their silence.” This is undoubtedly something absolutely positive. If the Church closes her eyes to his cry of pain and turns away from his cry for justice, we will once again betray her Master and the Gospel.”
One of the authors of the Ombudsman’s study, Gema Varona, permanent researcher at the Basque Institute of Criminology of the University of the Basque Country and professor of criminal policy and victimology at the Faculty of Law of San Sebastián, defends the solvency of the work carried out: “The statistics are representative and are created by a company with a very reliable methodology.” I think people need to make the effort to read everything. Projections have always been criticized, including in the French report. We can make estimates, but we will never be able to have the freeze frame. “Both on the part of the victims who don’t want to say it, and on the part of the attackers themselves, in order to hide this whole affair.” He believes that one of the keys is that there is a “high black proportion” in this type of crime ” gives. “This is called hidden victimization. “Around 80 to 90 percent of cases go unreported,” he analyzes. “To explain the very high black figure, we must explain the institutional context of the Catholic Church: its power, the persecution and the questioning of the victims, especially the first to report it.” Many I know are neither Defensor have not yet gone to EL PAÍS and have no intention of doing so. We are also talking about very old people and people who find themselves in a situation with many psychological and social problems.”
On the other hand, the presentation of Gabilondo’s report has made another front of the EEC’s problems even clearer: its own audit into pedophilia in the clergy, commissioned by the law firm Cremades & Calvo-Sotelo. The bishops, who had hoped to have it ready within a year, last March, and who had set the pace with the first institutional inquiry into the issue, saw it delayed until it was surpassed in implementation by the Ombudsman . In fact, the EEC presented the Office with a ten-day ultimatum this month, which it failed to comply with, and this Monday’s meeting will also address the question of how to proceed from now on.
Tensions have increased in recent weeks and have also affected the Madrid Chancellery itself, which this month left behind the lawyer Alfredo Dagnino, former president of the Catholic Propagandists Association (ACdP) and the man responsible for the conservative section of the bishops next stands. In fact, Dagnino was the de facto interlocutor between the company and the Church, leading the compilation of documents provided by dioceses and orders and then writing an analysis and assessment of this information.
Members of the audit’s 20-person task force confirmed that Dagnino led the sector least critical of the church. “He was surprised by the results of the investigation,” by the seriousness of the matter and by church leaders’ mismanagement of the scandal. Sources from the team that conducted the audit suggested that the report, in this sense, contradicted the position taken by the church by admitting “thousands of victims” and recommending that everyone be compensated.
Dagnino’s departure is linked to the transmission of a draft of more than 2,300 pages to the bishops, who shortly afterwards gave the company their ultimatum. The opinions of several anonymous prelates published in religious media varied widely. Some cited that the document contained “contradictions” and “significant points that give the impression of being caught with tweezers.” Others said it was “exemplary, thorough and exhaustive.” In this regard, the Office stressed that the possible leaked documents were not validated by the management of the investigative commission and that the accuracy of their content “is solely the responsibility of the person who wrote and leaked them.”
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