2023-10-25 17:02:00
Last year, around fifty complaints of sexual violence within the church were recorded. French-speaking complaints represent 66% of the total number compared to 34% in the north of the country.
A first telling figure: 57% of victims of sexual abuse within the Church are men and 3/4 of the complainants are over 40 years old at the time of filing the complaint. These complaints mainly concern violence against minors since the majority of victims are under 18 years old at the time of the incident and 11% of them are under 10 years old.
Regarding compensation, around half of the victims received financial compensation at their request. “I know that money doesn’t cure anything, but it can help for psychologists… With the foundation, we donated around 6 million euros“, explains Tommy Scholtes, spokesperson for the bishops of Belgium.
Also read Vincent Van Quickenborne victim of sexual abuse: why reveal it now?
In total, 47 complaints were filed between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023. This brings to 764 the number of reports since the creation of local branches of the Church in 2012. This figure rises to nearly 1,400 with denunciations recorded by the Arbitration Commission and the number of complaints continues to increase.
“Following the broadcast of the documentary “Godvergeten”, around forty people from the Dutch-speaking side and around twenty people from the French-speaking side came forward. Many old situations, but the suffering is the same and we will welcome them and if it is necessary to make a financial gesture too, we will do it“, explains Tommy Scholtes.
Also read “The priest came to your room”: Vincent Van Quickenborne claims to have suffered sexual abuse at boarding school
Among the perpetrators of violence, almost all are men. More than half of them had already died when their victim filed a complaint.
Van Quickenborne church abuse sexual assault
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