Ireland is one of the European countries with the most cases ofand sexual abuse of minors committed by members of the Catholic Church. In reports published in the first decade of this century, up to 14,500 victimsmost children who resided in industrial schools and reform schools.
In 2000, after the broadcast of a series that focused on pedophilia in the Irish Church, the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (CICA) was created. Known as the Ryan commission, it has been the most complete investigation. Throughout its 2,500 pages, it documents the abuses against boys and girls committed by priests, monks and lay people between 1937 and 1978 in the Archdiocese of Dublin, the largest in the country. The report qualifies 66% of cases as “sexual, emotional, negligent and physical abuse.” Until 253 victims reported what happened and they testified about the sexual abuse and physical torture they had suffered. From that, 134 abusers could be identified and another 208 were identified, although their names were not known.
He Murphy Reportpromoted by a judge with that last name and published in the same year as the previous one, was also very important in the advancement of the investigations: 320 accusations against 46 priests, and 11 were convicted for events that occurred between 1975 and 2004. That report also pointed out the people who covered up the crimes, exposed the clerics responsible and recommended that the victims be financially compensated for the damages suffered, but not all received the money they received. corresponded.
In fact, in recent decades more than 1,300 Irish priests have been accused of child abuse, but less than a tenth have been condemned in the tribunals.
The Church of England, in a predominantly Protestant country, has also registered complaints. Between 1940 and until 2018, 390 clergy or with positions of trust have been pbeaten for sexual abuse against minors.