In the therapeutic area of Repara, a space has been created for people who have suffered spiritual abuse, abuse of conscience and abuse of power in the Church.
As a result of these meetings, a video has been produced in which the victims express their testimony, redefine their experience and raise their voices to build a more just and safe Church.
Repara’s annual report shows that 95 direct victims of abuse were assisted in 2024. The data show a trend towards a reduction in recent cases of sexual abuse of minors in the ecclesial environment.
However, it does highlight an increase in cases of spiritual abuse among adults. It should be noted that, prior to sexual abuse, there is often an abuse of power, conscience or spiritual abuse, which acts as a facilitator.
The report highlights an increase in reports of abuse of authority and conscience, with 13 cases in ecclesial movements, 5 in religious life and 4 in second order victims.
Another relevant fact is the increase in telephone consultations of a legal nature and the decrease in the time between the verbalisation of the abuse and the denunciation, which indicates a greater awareness of the victims and a growing confidence in the ecclesial response.
However, beyond the figures, we would like to point out, as we do every year in which this Report is presented, that Repara is not an investigative or investigative body, but rather a body that provides assistance to the victims and, when they voluntarily request it, to the perpetrators. The data corresponds to the commitment to transparency and reflects the perspective of the requests received by this body, above all from the victims’ demand for advice and assistance.
More information:
https://www.archimadrid.org/index.php/oficina-de-informacion/noticias-madrid/repara-constata-aumento-casos-abuso-espiritual-autoridad-conciencia-entre-adultos
https://repara.archimadrid.es/
https://confer.es/noticias/repara-atendio-el-pasado-2024-a-95-victimas-directas-de-abuso/
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