There are about 3,000 pedophiles in the French Catholic Church

Clergy in the French Catholic Church have sexually abused at least 216,000 children since 1950, according to the investigation. If the study had also included crimes committed by Catholic school staff, the number of victims would have reached 330,000.

Between 2,900 and 3,200 pedophiles worked in the ranks of the Catholic Church, which was a small part of the total number of clergy (about 115,000), but caused great damage to their victims and the reputation of the Catholic Church.

Such data can be found in the latest report of a special commission of Catholic bishops. The head of the commission, Jean-Marc Suvé, has stated that the problem has not disappeared and that until the early 2000s the church treated the victims of sexual violence with complete indifference. In addition, these crimes are hidden behind a veil of silence.

In an interview with Suva, CNN acknowledged that the problem was systematic; perpetrators of sexual violence were not just a few “black sheep straying from the herd.”

The suffix points out that the Catholic Church has generally considered sexual morality violations in the context of the “You shall not commit adultery” command, but the commission believes that sexual abuse and rape are a much more serious sin that should be assessed under the “You shall not kill.”

The leadership of the French Catholic Church has already expressed “shame and horror” at the violations, asking for forgiveness.

Suva believes that forgiveness alone will not be enough; it is necessary to create a system for the church to pay compensation to victims of violence.

The report was commissioned by the Catholic Church in 2018, and the authors of the study did a great deal of work over two years evaluating police, court and church documents, as well as talking to victims of crime and their relatives.

“Immediately after family and friends, the church has been the environment where sexual violence is most prevalent,” the report concluded.

At least 60% of victims have subsequently experienced serious mental health problems that have negatively affected their emotional state and sexual life.

Christian Dibrre, 65, remembers being 11 years old when he became a victim of sexual abuse. A representative of the church came to him every Thursday to take excursions to historical places. The sexual violence lasted for nine months.

“This trauma will take me to the edge of the grave, even though it all happened more than half a century ago,” Dibrett said.

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