About 4,400 People Abused by Clergy in Italy, Victims’ Group Claims

Nearly 4,400 People Abused by Catholic Clergy in Italy, Victims’ Group Claims

Nearly 4,400 people have been abused by Catholic clergy in Italy in cases reported since 2020, a victims’ group claimed on Friday, increasing pressure on bishops to confront a crisis that has long plagued the world’s largest Christian faith.

The unofficial figure from Rete l'Abuso, Italy’s largest association of church abuse survivors, is drawn from victim testimonies, court documents and cases reported by the media, the group’s founder, Francesco Zanardi, said.

Rete l'Abuso did not specify the time span in which the alleged abuse cases occurred.

The Italian Bishops Conference (CEI), which was criticized by the Vatican’s child protection commission last week, declined to comment on the findings, a spokesperson said.

Pope Leo, who met sexual abuse survivors for the first time this week, has urged newly appointed bishops not to conceal allegations of misconduct. His predecessor, the late Pope Francis, made the issue a major focus of his 12-year papacy, with mixed results.