Catholic Church signs sex abuse compensation agreement

Spain’s Roman Catholic Church has reached an agreement with the government to compensate victims of clergy sex abuse.

The agreement follows complaints that religious leaders have failed to adequately address the issue.

This means the government will coordinate with the church to manage possible compensation in cases where other legal avenues are no longer available because the alleged crime occurred so long ago or the defendant has died.

The government estimates that hundreds of thousands of Spaniards have been sexually abused by church figures. The move follows similar redress programs in other countries where abuse has been uncovered.

Justice Minister Felix Bolaños said after signing the agreement: “Democracies should not allow the existence of victims who never receive compensation, but instead have their situation covered up.”

He added that the agreement was intended to “repay the historic moral debt we owe to victims of abuse within the church.”

Other signatories include Luis Aguero, president of the Episcopal Church and leader of Spain’s Catholic Church, and Jesus Díaz Sallego, president of Confer, which represents Catholic churches and religious groups.

Mr. Sallego said the move was unprecedented because it addressed crimes that had exceeded the statute of limitations.

Archbishop Aguero of Valladolid called the agreement “another step forward along the path we have been on for many years.”

A 2023 study by Spain’s ombudsman office, which investigates public complaints, estimated that 1.1% of the population had been sexually abused by clergy or individuals linked to the church, equivalent to 440,000 people.

The church has challenged the findings.

The company instituted a compensation plan that year to manage abuse claims.

However, both the Socialist-led government and victims’ groups are unhappy with the scheme’s format, which does not allow for input or oversight from outside the church.

In November, the church said it had “resolved” 58 cases under its framework.

Critics, however, accuse the agency of lacking transparency and being slow to act.

The Nation created a database of clerical abuse allegations, documenting cases affecting 2,948 victims dating back to the 1940s.

Last June, some victims’ groups severed ties with the Spanish church, claiming it was preventing them from seeking compensation.

The Vatican then appeared to take on a more prominent role, with the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors meeting with Spanish victims and urging the country’s Catholic leaders to support and promote reparations.

The meeting between Justice Minister Bolaños and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin appeared to further increase pressure on church authorities in Madrid.

Under the new system, victims will be able to submit cases to a new agency created by the Ministry of Justice, which will then take them to the Ombudsman’s Office, which will draft a compensation recommendation.

The church must then agree to the proposed compensation – if not, the case will be referred back to the ombudsman.

Depending on the agreement, compensation can be symbolic, psychological or financial. In each case, it is the church’s responsibility to enforce it.

The amount of financial compensation that could be paid was not specified.

However, the ombudsman recommended following the lead of other European countries.

In Belgium, victims in such cases receive an average of €6,000 ($7,000; £5,210) in compensation, although the late Pope Francis called this amount “too small”.

The Irish Compensation Commission paid out an average of around €63,000 to victims.

The issue of clergy sexual abuse first received heightened attention in the United States and Canada in the 1980s.

The problem began to grow in the 1990s as reports emerged from Argentina, Australia and widespread historical abuses in Ireland were revealed.

By the early 2000s, sexual abuse within the church had become a major global issue.

Spain, as a Catholic country, was relatively unaffected by scandal at the time.

However, recent media investigations have brought the issue to light.

In the latest high-profile case, Cadiz Bishop Rafael Zornoza resigned in November after allegations of abuse in the 1990s.

Victims’ groups welcomed Spain’s new deal.

Juan Cuatrecasas of the Stolen Childhood Association (Anir) said: “This is a pervasive structural evil within the Church which is long overdue to address it rather than cover up pedophilia.” He said he was “completely satisfied”.