French Catholic Church inquiry finds 216,000 sex abuse victims from 1950An independent report, running to nearly 2,500 pages, found 216,000 victims of child sex abuse by French Catholic priests, deacons and other clergy. PARIS: An independent inquiry into alleged sex abuse of minors by French Catholic priests, deacons and other clergy has found some 216,000 victims of paedophilia from 1950 to 2020, a "massive phenomenon" that was covered up for decades by a "veil of silence." When lay members of the Church such as teachers at Catholic schools are included, the number of child abuse victims climbs to 330,000 over the seven-decade period. "Until the early 2000s the Catholic Church showed a profound and even cruel indifference towards the victims," he said. - 'Institutional recognition' -Sauve had already told AFP on Sunday that a "minimum estimate" of 2,900 to 3,200 paedophiles had operated in the French Church since 1950.
