"Massive Scale of Child Sexual Abuse by Spanish Clergy Revealed in Inquiry"

An independent commission in Spain estimates that over 200,000 children have been sexually abused by the Roman Catholic clergy since 1940. The report, based on a poll of over 8,000 adults, found that 0.6% of respondents said they were abused by clergy as children, equating to about 200,000 individuals. When including abuse by lay members of the church, the proportion increased to 1.13%, or over 400,000 people. The report criticizes the church's response to abuse cases and recommends the creation of a state fund for reparations. The Spanish bishops conference has called an extraordinary meeting to discuss the findings.