Catholic Church signs deal on sexual abuse compensation
BBC••world
Key Points:
- Spain's Catholic Church and government have agreed on a new compensation scheme for victims of sexual abuse by clergy, addressing cases where legal action is no longer possible due to time limits or death of the accused.
- The agreement establishes a government-managed agency to handle claims in coordination with the Church, with the ombudsman proposing reparations that the Church must approve or face further review.
- An estimated 440,000 Spaniards have suffered abuse linked to the Church, according to a 2023 study, though the Church disputes these figures and has faced criticism for its previous reparation scheme's lack of transparency and external oversight.
- The new system allows for symbolic, psychological, or financial compensation, but the amount remains unspecified; comparisons include
