The Church and its sexual crimes

Special focus 18 publications
The scale of sexual crimes committed by members of the Catholic Church poses an unprecedented justice challenge for many countries on several continents. A multitude of transitional justice mechanisms are at work to uncover the truth about these crimes, bring accountability and provide redress to victims. The Church, the judiciary and governments have initiated commissions of enquiry, truth commissions and trials. Revelations follow one another, identifying tens of thousands of victims and thousands of perpetrators of sexual abuse committed over decades. Justice Info sheds light on this very sensitive and often innovative justice system in the face of an extraordinary institutional crime.
© Thomas Azuelos pour JusticeInfo.net
Religious people (in small format) are lined up to confess in turn to the ear of a church member (in large format) who hides one eye while listening with one ear.
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Reparations for the victims of the Church of France. Photo: A painter uses a tool to renovate a mural depicting several Catholic crosses.
Victims of Church abuse speak (Part 2): the painful path of going to the commissions
3 June 2025 by Clémentine Méténier
In 2021, France discovered the extent of sexual abuse in its Church. A commission reported 330,000 victims. Two reparation bodies were quickly set up. Three and a half years on, victims spoke to Justice Info about their experiences with these commissions.
Reparations for the victims of the Church of France. Photo: A painter uses a tool to renovate a mural depicting several Catholic crosses. Victims of Church abuse speak (Part 1): whether or not to ask for reparation
30 May 2025 by Clémentine Méténier
In 2021, France discovered the extent of sexual abuse in its Church. A commission reported 330,000 victims. Two reparation bodies were quickly set up. Three and a half years on, victims spoke to Justice Info about their experiences with these commissions.
Sexual violence in the Catholic Church in Africa. Photo: Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo celebrates mass in a church in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo). Sexual violence in the Church: the African taboo
31 March 2025 by Clémentine Méténier
How can the taboo on sexual violence in the Catholic Church in Africa be broken? French priest and psychotherapist Stéphane Joulain, a member of the White Fathers, spoke to Justice Info about the “African silence”.
Reparations for victims of sexual violence in the French Church: what assessment can be made of the Commission for Recognition and Reparation? Photo: Gargoyles at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris (France) Repairing violence within the Church: “It’s going to take time”
13 February 2025 by Clémentine Méténier
France’s Recognition and Reparation Commission (CRR) for alleged sexual violence committed by members of religious institutions, created in October 2021, is taking stock of three years of work. While the number of cases handled re [...]
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Antoine Garapon, French magistrate and head of the Commission for Recognition and Reparation for sexual crimes committed in the Church, advocates restorative justice. illustration: portrait of Garapon.
11 February 2025 by Clémentine Méténier
“Restorative justice is the very soul of justice” Are restorative processes, like those in France dealing with Church abuse, the future in dealing with crimes that courts cannot judge? This is the plea made by French magistrate Antoine Garapon, who heads the Recognition and Repar [...]
Around the world, justice for the Church's sexual crimes is increasing. Photo: priest.
17 November 2023 by Clémentine Méténier
Sexual crimes in the Church: pressure grows as revelations spread Three years ago, Justice Info published a map of investigations undertaken around the world into sexual crimes in the Catholic Church. This year has been marked by important new revelations, particularly in Latin America and Europ [...]
Commission on sexual abuse in the Swiss Church. Photo: Activists from Ending Clergy Abuse pose with portraits of members of the clergy.
14 November 2023 by Clémentine Méténier
What next after Swiss report on sexual abuse in the Church? Since its publication in September, a report has been shaking up the secrecy that has surrounded sexual abuse in the Swiss Church since the mid-20th century. The report is still preliminary, but could pave the way towards a more s [...]
A church seen at night in France with some ornaments (a cross at the top) illuminated.
23 September 2022 by Clémentine Méténier
Reparations for sexual abuse in the Church: Victims' discontent grows   In France, Almost a year after the publication of a shocking report by France’s Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church, the reparations promised to victims are hardly materializing. Victims point to the flaws of the [...]
In Camera episode 4 - Can the Church repair its crimes?
17 January 2022 by Bronwen Cowley
Can the French Church "repair" its crimes? IN CAMERA | Episode 4 > Will the Church in France "pay" for its crimes? And what can it do to "repair" them? These are burning questions at the start of 2022, after an explosive report on October 5 on sexual abuse in the Church [...]
Antoine Garapon
14 December 2021 by Clémentine Méténier
Antoine Garapon: "The Church says it's ready to repair, so we must believe it!" JUSTICE INFO IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS Antoine Garapon President of the Independent Commission on Recognition and Reparation for sexual crimes committed in French religious congregations The work of the Independent Commission on Sexual [...]
French policemen posted outside a church
28 October 2021 by Clémentine Méténier
Sexual abuse in the Church: Tough task for French justice The Church of France has covered up a massive crime, but what about the justice system and the statute of limitations? Shocked by the Sauvé report, the Minister of Justice has asked prosecutors to open investigations even if the f [...]
François Devaux speaks at the presentation of the Ciase report (sexual crimes in the french church)
19 October 2021 by Clémentine Méténier
French Church, "you must pay !" In 45 proposals, the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church of France calls for action to compensate, recognize, organize ceremonies and erect memorials. The Church will have to pay reparations, which could reach up [...]
7 October 2021 by Clémentine Méténier
Xavier Philippe: "The Commission on Sexual Abuse has taken power over the Church” In France, the Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church (CIASE) on October 5 presented an explosive report. Although this commission does not claim to be directly involved in transitional justice, it has used practices and princip [...]
Pope Francis at the Vatican, accompanied by other church leaders
19 July 2021 by Julia Crawford
Church is obstructing justice for clerical child abuse, say UN experts Last month, the United Nations made public that four of their special human rights rapporteurs have complained to the Vatican about the lack of accountability for perpetrators of child abuse and reparation for victims. They called [...]
Babies and nuns in Ireland
25 May 2021 by Janet H. Anderson
Whitewashing the sins of the state and the church in Ireland In January, the report of an enquiry in the history of Ireland’s mother and baby homes was published. It intended to draw a line under last century’s notorious abuses in government and church-run institutions. Instead it has been [...]
10 September 2020 by Clémentine Méténier
Sexual abuse in the Church: Is it a crime against humanity? Faced with the slow reactions of the Catholic Church and States, some wish to go further on punishing sexual abuse in the Church. Given its gravity and extent over time as well as across the world, they think a qualification as a [...]
A member of the Catholic Church on a worldmap
8 September 2020 by Clémentine Méténier
Sexual abuse in the Church: map of justice worldwide With tens of thousands of victims worldwide over several decades, sexual abuse by members of the Catholic Church is an unprecedented issue of justice. In order to reveal and confront the magnitude of the crimes, many transitional [...]
27 April 2020 by Clémentine Méténier
French commission sheds first light on sexual abuse in the Church A creative kind of non-state truth commission, charged with establishing the facts on sexual abuses committed in the church in France since 1950, has been collecting testimonies for more than a year and is working on how to respon [...]