Only 50 victims come forward in church probe into own abuses in Spain

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) – In the first six weeks of the Spanish Catholic Church’s probe into sexual abuse at the hands of clergy, only 50 victims have come forward.

The figure was reported on Wednesday by Javier Cremades, a partner in the law firm that is leading the investigation for the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE).

In a similar investigation in Portugal, 214 testimonies were collected within the first month.

The figure also falls far short of the list of more than 1,200 alleged victims that Spain’s El Pais newspaper has collected and the 506 complaints already recognized by the Catholic Church.

The CEE said the investigation’s goal is to get a clear picture of the abuse that went on behind church doors. Cremades said it will also establish criteria that go beyond just the criminal aspect of pedophilia.

“It’s still not possible to provide clarity about who, where, what, and how many … but I hope within 11 months we’ll be able to say more,” added the lawyer.

He also announced a team of 28 national and international experts who will help support the investigation.

“We’re starting 20 years after the US, 12 after Germany and almost five years after France, so we have a lot of past experience to draw on. But the Spanish model will be different,” said Cremades.

This is the first major investigation that the Catholic Church has opened in Spain around sexual abuses committed by its clergy.

The probe was announced just weeks before Spain’s parliament approved the country’s first public inquiry into the same matter.

The lawyer added that the victims who have come forward so far have been “grateful” to be listened to and said the probe is already acting to heal the community.

The victims' group Infancia Robada, however, has criticized the church’s probe and insists the CEE should instead fully collaborate with the state-led investigation.