The bishops have unanimously approved a work process to develop a Comprehensive Reparation Plan for victims of sexual abuse, which includes financial compensation for victims of abuse whether there is a court ruling or not due to certain circumstances such as the perpetrator having died. .
This was announced by the general secretary and spokesperson of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), Francisco César García Magán, this Friday at a press conference, within the framework of the Plenary Assembly of the CEE.
“In cases in which there is no judicial sentence, there is a moral conviction because judicially there cannot be a sentence – perhaps because the perpetrator has died or because there is a civil statute of limitations -. In those cases, if a conviction is reached that there has been sexual abuse, it will have to be studied case by case and if it is seen that that moral conviction is reached, yes, there will also be that comprehensive reparation,” explained the spokesman for the bishops.
In any case, he specified that they have not yet “calculated” the “fund” for compensation to the victims because this will have to be articulated within the reparation plan whose development they gave the green light this Friday.
He has said the same with respect to the amount of compensation, although he has pointed out that it will be necessary to differentiate cases that come through the courts, in which one must abide by what the judge says, from the others.
“I cannot specify more economic tables because it is not yet articulated, but what is determined by a court ruling must be adhered to whatever the court ruling is that forces payment, be it to the perpetrator or, where appropriate, a subsidiary civil liability. But the same is true for cases that cannot be brought to trial, that cannot have a court ruling, will also be studied so that there is that reparation as a moral obligation,” he insisted.
In any case, when asked how these compensations will be paid, the bishop pointed out that “in principle it must be paid by the perpetrators and, where appropriate, by the institutions involved, for example, if the perpetrator has died, the diocese or the institute of life.” consecrated, in principle the Episcopal Conference does not”.
On the other hand, regarding the audit on sexual abuse commissioned by the bishops themselves to the Cremades law firm
The report should have been presented last March, one year after the commission, but it has not yet been delivered. The bishops gave an ultimatum to the firm but this deadline has not been met either and Cremades has promised to present the final document on December 15.
Regarding the meeting with Pope Francis that will take place next Tuesday, November 28, the secretary general of the Episcopal Conference has specified that the Pontiff has called them to give them the results of the visit to the seminaries last year. However, he does not rule out that they will tell him “with great interest” about their reparation plan for victims of abuse, if Francisco asks them, “if the topic comes up.”
“I can assure you that there is no fear. That it is a singular fact? It does not happen every day that the Pope convenes an episcopate,” he acknowledged, but insisted that the only item on the agenda is the matter of the seminars.
