The disclosure of the management of cases of pederasty
The information discovered
The Catholic Church has been very secretive in its handling of clergy pederasty cases, trying to hide the facts and related court convictions. Recently, a secret list has been revealed with the management of 806 cases admitted by the church, through which some allegations recognized by the diocese and orders have been uncovered. This information, leaked to the bishops by a member of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, has highlighted the covert management of accusations of pederasty.
A recent case in the diocese of Asidonia-Jerez de la Frontera
The secret list has revealed a recent case in the Diocese of Asidonia-Jerez de la Frontera, which involved an agreement reached in 2022. In this case, the diocese mediated between the victim and the Marianist order and it was settled with a payment of 70,000 euros for abuses committed between 1964 and 1976 in a college of the order in Jerez.
The highest known payouts to date
According to a study, notable damages have been recorded in other court rulings. The highest known is the one paid by a teacher at the Augustinian school in Valdeluz, in Madrid, sentenced to 49 years in prison for abusing 12 students, with the church paying 142,000 euros in financial compensation. Also noteworthy is the compensation of 120,000 euros for abuse to four students of a Marist school in Barcelona.
Compensation to victims
The lack of financial compensation to the victims
Most often the victims of abuse have not been adequately compensated by the church. In many cases, the accused has simply been removed or expelled, without the victim receiving any type of compensation.
Practices of some dioceses to pay compensations
The secret list has also exposed other practices of some dioceses to pay the damages imposed on priests, such as granting loans which are then deducted from the salary of those affected. This form of management has also been observed in other places, such as in Pamplona.
Judicial convictions in the church
Amount of hidden convictions
According to the secret list, at least 53 orders and dioceses that have suffered judicial convictions are highlighted, although, according to a report, the true number could be as high as 67. This indicates that there are ecclesiastical institutions that have not declared the convictions, putting in evidence failures in the management of these situations.
Hidden court convictions
It has been revealed that there have been hidden judicial convictions by the church, such as a case in Ourense where the prosecutor’s neutrality was questioned, with the bishop warning of problems arising from his actions allegedly due to lack of ‘objectivity and impartiality, although the priest’s case was condemned.
