Dutch Catholic Church knew about sexual abuses, actively covered it up, investigations reveal

An investigation by Dutch newspaper NRC has revealed that dozens of high-ranking members of the Dutch Catholic Church reportedly knew of sexual abuse in the church and actively covered it up.

The report from the investigation accused more than half of Dutch bishops, cardinals and auxiliary bishops of taking part or actively covering up child abuse between 1945 and 2010.

Four of them were accused of having sexually abused children, and the reports also revealed that high-ranking clergy moved priests who had been accused of abuse to other parishes where they could start anew.

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The latest revelation is coming weeks after Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis likened the sex scandal and corruption rocking the church to excrement in a toilet.

Speaking on the first papal visit to once deeply Catholic Ireland in almost four decades, Pope Francis vowed to end the sexual exploitation of children by clergy.

At an event which had sex abuse survivors in attendance, Pope Francis acknowledge that it was to the Church’s shame it had not addressed these “repugnant crimes” and said he sought a greater commitment to eliminating this “scourge”.

 

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