In the Roman Catholic Church in the Netherlands, between 1945 and 1985, at least between 10,000 and 20,000 children were sexually abused by clergy. The church that has always said it was ignorant has always known about the sexual abuse. Victims of abuse in the Roman Catholic Church have been ignored and told to keep their mouths shut.
Research into abuse in the Roman Catholic Church
This emerged from research into abuse within the Roman Catholic Church. This investigation was carried out by the Deetman Committee, which presented its final report on December 16. Under the leadership of former minister Wim Deetman, research into abuse in Roman Catholic institutions was conducted for a year and a half.
A total of 1795 reports
The committee received 1,795 reports of people who had been abused within the Roman Catholic Church. About 800 names of perpetrators emerged. They worked in:
- Dioceses
- Orders
- Congregation
Of those 800 perpetrators, at least 105 are said to still be alive. Some of them are even still in office. No one had been removed from the priesthood due to the abuse until December 2011. However, they have been put on hold. This means that they are not allowed to celebrate the Eucharist in public and are not allowed to do pastoral work. At the end of December 2011 it was announced that a number of pastors had been removed from their positions and suspended. These were Pastor Albert Rubrech from Putten, belonging to the Sint Lucas parish. Pastor Bert Sturkenboom from Ermelo was suspended just before Christmas. Both pastors are accused of sexual abuse in the 1970s and 1980s. ‘There has been a witness hearing against both of them.
The forms of abuse
The abuse used by Roman Catholics ranged from unwanted touching to rape and everything in between.
Bishops and other clergy were aware of the abuse
Although this has always been denied, bishops and other clergy were indeed aware of the abuse within the church and Catholic institutions. However, they did not act. Often a clergyman caught in the abuse was simply transferred to another place. So that the abuse could continue there too.
The moral duty of the church
According to the Deetman committee, the church now has a moral obligation to help victims. That duty is so great because the same church presents itself as the guardian of values and norms in the moral field. It has created a great sense of dismay that it is the same church that has committed these very acts.
Church responds with shame and sadness
The Roman Catholic Church in the Netherlands itself has reacted with shock to the abuse and says it feels shame and sadness. Regret was also expressed for the abuse. According to Dr. Wim Eijk, chairman of the Dutch Bishops’ Conference, the children and young people were not handled with care. The interests of the children have never been paramount, which is why church authorities are also guilty of the abuse.
Denial of abuse
In 2010, Cardinal Simonis claimed that the clergy had not known about the abuse. Just then, more and more people came forward with their experiences. However, the same ignorance was not at all evident from the report of the Deetman committee. However, within the church the moral prevailed that dirty laundry should not be aired. However, abuse was definitely discussed within all institutions such as orphanages, seminaries, monasteries or other institutions. It was stated that a clergyman had committed carelessness, as the investigation shows, while this simply meant abuse.
Open apology letter
The umbrella organization of orders, congregations and abbeys (KNR) has apologized for the abuse in an open letter. It states that the church has violated the trust of children and their parents.
From the Roman Catholic Church: a committee where victims can go
In the Roman Catholic Church, a committee of four people (including a bishop and a KNR board member) is being set up where victims can go with questions or complaints. This was also a recommendation of the Deetman committee. The church will also contact the Public Prosecution Service if someone within the church commits a criminal or possible criminal offense.
Compensation
The church also has 2 million euros available to compensate victims for the psychological damage they suffer. They would receive compensation within six weeks of the committee’s decision if they were recognized as victims.
The facts
- A total of 1 in 10 children has been abused before the age of eighteen by an adult who is not a family member. Children who stayed in a boarding school, boarding school, seminary or children’s home of the Roman Catholic Church were twice as likely to experience this abuse.
- Between 10,000 and 20,000 children were abused by an employee in a Roman Catholic institution between 1945 and 1981.
- Much abuse could have been prevented if the church itself had intervened earlier and better.
- Commissioner Deetman wants the training and guidance of clergy and priests to be organized differently.
- The church must also ensure that victims receive help.