(ITALY)
La Croix International [Montrouge Cedex, France]
May 30, 2025
By La Croix (with AFP)
According to a report released May 28, Italian dioceses recorded 69 cases of abuse involving minors or vulnerable adults in 2023 and 2024—a rise compared to 2022. The Italian bishops’ conference said the increase reflects “the emergence of incidents that had previously remained hidden.”
Italian dioceses reported 69 cases of abuse involving minors or vulnerable adults in 2023 and 2024, most occurring in parish settings, according to a report released Wednesday, May 28, by the Italian bishops’ conference.
The 98-page document, which reviews efforts to combat sexual abuse in the Italian Church, details 69 cases involving 118 alleged victims—one-third of whom were between the ages of 10 and 14.
By comparison, a 2022 report recorded 32 cases and 54 potential victims. Of the 69 recent cases, 11 involved sexual relations, 19 involved sexual assault, and 25 involved inappropriate touching.
Further reading: Sexual abuse in the Catholic Church: the Italian exception
Among the 67 alleged perpetrators, 44 were clergy members. The rest included laypeople working in parish ministries. Nearly all were men, with just two women named. The average age of those accused was around 50.
No national inquiry
Although the late Pope Francis made fighting clergy sex abuse a priority starting in 2019, critics say the Church’s response, particularly in Italy, has lacked the scale seen elsewhere. Unlike in countries such as France, Italy has yet to launch a nationwide investigation into abuse in the church.
According to the bishops’ conference, the increase in reported victims and perpetrators “may reflect the emergence of incidents and situations that were previously hidden.” In 2023, 373 individuals reached out to one of the 103 diocesan “listening centers,” which are staffed by psychologists and educators and offer support to victims.
Further reading: Italy launches first investigation into sexual assaults committed by priests
The Vatican does not require bishops to report abuse allegations to civil authorities. The report notes some progress in the training of clergy, religious, and pastoral workers over the past two years, particularly in how to identify abuse and support survivors.
However, collaboration with local authorities remains weak. Nearly 82% of dioceses admitted they do not work with external organizations such as police, social services, or schools.
One church official quoted in the report stressed the need for “a more transparent and courageous attitude by the church in acknowledging abuse cases within its own ranks.”