Over 200,000 Children Sexually Abused By French Catholic Clergy Since 1950

A shocking new report estimates that over 200,000 children were sexually assaulted at the hands of French clergymen over the past 70 years. An additional 130,000 children were sexually abused by other people who worked at churches from 1950-2020. The 2,500-page document says that roughly 3,000 priests and other church workers were responsible for decades of abuse.

"Faced with this scourge, for a very long time the Catholic Church's immediate reaction was to protect itself as an institution, and it has shown complete, even cruel, indifference to those having suffered abuse," the report said.

Jean-Marc Sauvé, the head of the commission tasked with compiling the report, said that the Catholic Church covered up the allegations in a "systemic manner."

He said that a majority of the victims were boys between the ages of 10 and 13 and that most of the abuses occurred from 1950-1970. Sauvé noted that there was a slight uptick in cases in the early 1990s.

"The consequences are very serious," Sauvé said. "About 60% of men and women who were sexually abused encounter major problems in their emotional or sexual life."

"We consider the church has a debt towards victims," he added.

While most of the alleged crimes cannot be prosecuted, Sauvé said that 22 cases have been forwarded to prosecutors.