Nearly 500 victims of church sex abuse in France have received financial compensation

RELIGIONS NEWS GENCY (REDNA) – Hundreds of victims of child sexual abuse by priests or church representatives have received financial compensation so far from France’s Catholic Church.

AP reported the payment has been done under a sweeping reparations program.

An annual report by the Independent National Authority for Recognition and Reparation said 1,351 victims came forward to claim compensation and seek psychological support in an effort to recover from childhood trauma.

The average age of victims who have come forwards is 61, Marie Derain de Vaucresson, the head of the body said during a news conference Thursday.

Of them, 66%, are men and 34% are women, she said. The claims process started in 2022.

So far, the reparations authority has approved compensation claims of 489 victims, the report said. Of those, 88 people were granted the maximum of 60,000 euros ($65,000). Last year, 358 victims’ compensation claims were approved, with each individual granted an average amount of 35,310 euros, the report said.

France’s Catholic bishops’ conference agreed to provide reparations after a 2021 report estimated that some 330,000 children were sexually abused for over 70 years by priests or other church-related figures in France.