Commission for Victims of Violence Catholic Church

NL Times
October 25, 2013

http://www.nltimes.nl/2013/10/25/commission-for-victims-of-violence-catholic-church/

A special committee will compensate people who fell victim to excessive force in the Roman Catholic Church as minors, announced the church on Thursday.The committee already started on October 15, and will offer help, and acknowledge the suffering of the victims.

The church started this initiative in response to the call of Wim Deetman, who studied female victims of excessive force in the Catholic Church. Victims who already reported to Deetman or the RKK Sexual Abuse Hotline, will be informed about compensation after November 30.

Second Vatican Council Lothar Wolleh Wikimedia commons

The independent committee consists of Rene Westra, Wiel Stevens, Pieter Kalbfleisch, and Secretary Bert Kreemers. They will look into reports of violence against children to the RKK Sexual Abuse Hotline and the Deetman commission. The focus is on sexual abuse, for which there is a different arrangement.

Wim Deetman proposed to establish such a committee in March. People who reported to the committee or Hotline will be informed after November 30 about the status of their report. The committee checks the validity of the report, and whether any additional information is needed from the victim.

The committee will also evaluate whether the violence was intended to cause harm, if the violence was also unacceptable according to the educational standards of that time, and if the victim is still physically or psychologically burdened by the violence.

Compensations assigned, vary from 1500 to 5000 euros.