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Institutional Dutch Catholic abuse 'affected thousands' Institutional Dutch Catholic abuse 'affected thousands'
(about 1 hour later)
Tens of thousands of children have suffered sexual abuse in Dutch Catholic institutions since 1945, a report says.Tens of thousands of children have suffered sexual abuse in Dutch Catholic institutions since 1945, a report says.
The report by an independent commission said Catholic officials had failed to tackle the widespread abuse at schools, seminaries and orphanages.The report by an independent commission said Catholic officials had failed to tackle the widespread abuse at schools, seminaries and orphanages.
Based on a survey of more than 34,000 people, the report estimates that one in five children in Catholic institutions suffered abuse. But the report also found that one in five children who attended an institution suffered abuse - regardless of whether it was Catholic.
Allegations of abuse at a school in the east Netherlands triggered the inquiry. Allegations at a Catholic school in the east Netherlands triggered the inquiry.
The commission began work in August 2010 and studied 1,800 reports of abuse at Catholic institutions. It has identified 800 alleged perpetrators, just over 100 of whom are still alive. The commission, which began work in August 2010, sought to uncover what had gone on and how it had happened, and examined what kind of justice should be offered to victims.
It studied 1,800 complaints of abuse at Catholic institutions, identifying 800 alleged perpetrators, just over 100 of whom are still alive.
It also conducted a broader survey of more than 34,000 people, to gain a more comprehensive picture of the scale and nature of abuse suffered by Dutch minors.
The report estimates that 10,000-20,000 minors were abused in the care of Catholic institutions between 1945 and 1981, when the number of Church-run homes dropped. In the years between 1981 and 2011, several more thousands suffered at the hands of priests and others working for the Church.
Most of the cases involved mild to moderate abuse, such as touching, but the report estimated there were "several thousand" instances of rape.
'Widespread in Dutch society'
"The problem of sexual abuse was known in the orders and dioceses of the Dutch Catholic Church," the commission says, according to news agency AFP, "but the appropriate actions were not undertaken.""The problem of sexual abuse was known in the orders and dioceses of the Dutch Catholic Church," the commission says, according to news agency AFP, "but the appropriate actions were not undertaken."
The inquiry sought to uncover what had gone on and how it had happened, and examined what kind of justice should be offered to victims. But the report also estimates that one in 10 Dutch children have suffered some form of abuse, rising to one in five among those who had attended an institution - regardless of whether it was Catholic.
It estimated that one in 10 Dutch children had suffered some form of abuse, rising to one in five among those who had attended a Catholic institution. "Sexual abuse of minors is widespread in Dutch society," the commission reportedly said.
Last month the Dutch branch of the Catholic Church set up a sliding compensation system based on the severity of abuse suffered, offering compensation of between 5,000 and 100,000 euros (£4,200-£84,000; $6,500-130,000). Bert Smeets, an abuse victim who attended the presentation of the report, said it did not go far enough in detailing precisely exactly what happened.
The commission's findings have been keenly awaited by the Dutch population, 29% of whom are identified as Catholic, the BBC's Anna Holligan reports from The Hague. "What was happening was sexual abuse, violence, spiritual terror, and that should have been investigated," Mr Smeets told the Associated Press news agency. "It remains vague. All sorts of things happened but nobody knows exactly what or by whom. This way, they avoid responsibility."
According to AP, prosecutors say the inquiry referred 11 cases to them - without naming the alleged perpetrators. They opened only one investigation based on those reports, saying the other 10 did not contain enough detailed information and appeared to have happened too long ago to prosecute.
Last month the Dutch branch of the Catholic Church set up a sliding compensation system based on the severity of abuse suffered, offering compensation of between 5,000 and 100,000 euros (£4,200-84,000; $6,500-130,000).
The commission was headed by Wim Deetman, a former government minister, and includes a former judge, university professors and a psychologist.
Its findings have been keenly awaited by the Dutch population, 29% of whom are identified as Catholic, the BBC's Anna Holligan reports from The Hague.