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  Widespread Abuse of Children in Dutch Catholic Institutions

RTT News
December 16, 2011

http://www.rttnews.com/Content/GeneralNews.aspx?Id=1783056&SM=1

Widespread abuse of children in Dutch Catholic institutions has come out in the report of an independent commission after it examined 1,800 cases, media reports said on Friday.

Prompted by allegations of abuse at a school in east Netherlands, the commission probe found that the Catholic hierarchy failed to tackle the widespread abuse at schools, seminaries and orphanages in the country where Catholics constituted 29 percent of the population.

The commission says that tens of thousands of children have suffered sexual abuse in Dutch Catholic institutions since 1945. Based on a survey of more than 34,000 people, it came to the conclusion that one in five children in Catholic institutions suffered abuse.

The commission which began the enquiry in August 2010 has identified 800 alleged perpetrators, of them just over 100 are still alive.

The Catholic Church in Netherlands had set up last month a sliding compensation system based on the severity of abuse suffered, offering victims compensation ranging EUR 5,000 and 100,000 ($6,500-130,000), reports said.

by RTT Staff Writer

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