Belgian report lists hundreds of pedophilia cases in Catholic Church

Fag belgian Church

[link to www.dw-world.de]

Belgian report lists hundreds of pedophilia cases in Catholic Church

Hundreds of complaints of sexual abuse by clergy in Belgium have been made to a Catholic Church-backed commission. A report detailing cases involving children as young as two was released after a court ruling.

A Belgian commission investigating sexual abuse within the Catholic Church said that the 475 cases of abuse reported in the first six months of the year extended to all parts of the country.

"We can say that no part of the country escapes sexual abuse of minors by one or several of its members," said the authors of a report published on Friday.

The chairman of the Church-backed commission, Peter Adriaenssens, said that the majority of witnesses came forward after a bishop resigned in April over sexual abuse, causing turmoil within the Belgian church.