Spanish Catholic bishops find evidence of 728 sexual abusers, 927 victims since 1945

By CIARÁN GILES
Associated Press

MADRID (AP) — Spain’s bishops’ conference says it has found evidence of 728 sexual abusers within the country’s Catholic Church since 1945 through the testimony of 927 victims. In its first public report on sexual abuse in the church in Spain, the church said 83% of the victims and 99% of the abusers were male. It said that more than 60% of the offenders were dead. In a document presented Thursday, more than 50% of offenders were said to be priests and the rest other church officials. The church said that the majority of cases occurred in the last century, 75% before 1990. Up until very recently, the Spanish church has been reluctant to investigate the issue.