The French Catholic Church revealed on Monday that it would fully compensate all victims of sexual abuse by clergy members.
After an independent commission found that more than 330,000 minors were sexually abused by clergy members in France over 70 years, the church claimed an institutional responsibility to make reparations.
France's Catholic Church agreed to sell some real estate holdings to compensate victims of sexual abuse.
— AJ+ (@ajplus) November 8, 2021
A report found Catholic clergy abused 215,000+ children since the 1950s, and the church intentionally protected abusers and failed to help victims with "cruel indifference." pic.twitter.com/XhzGqzh3Ma
Though a compensation amount wasn't noted, the bishops of France agreed to sell real estate or take out loans to fund the move.
They also decided to establish nine working groups that will undertake individual missions and report to the Plenary Assembly. Some groups will focus on the analysis of the causes of sexual violence within the Church, the sharing of good practices of reported cases, and the accompaniment of implicated priests.
"The bishops of France decide on an external audit of the listening units for victims, resulting in a common charter and a regular evaluation method to be entrusted to the Council for the prevention and fight against pedophilia," the Church said in a statement.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
