No announcement has been made regarding the compensation amount for each victim, according to a statement noting that the compensation committee is currently reviewing the opinions produced by the investigative committees.
During the 212th Plenary Assembly, which started on Monday, the bishops assessed the ongoing financial compensation process and approved the creation of a solidarity fund to finance these compensations.
This fund will be sustained by 50% contributions from CEP, with the remaining 50% shared among all dioceses and religious institutes.
The document emphasizes that this is not a legal process but a gesture of solidarity from the Church in Portugal, expressing communion with the victims’ suffering and aligning with the path undertaken so far.
The bishops reaffirm their commitment to ensuring a safe Church environment, preventing abuse, and express gratitude to national and diocesan structures which support victims, redirect complaints appropriately, and engage in prevention, protection, and care training.
As per CEP’s disclosed data, 89 requests for financial compensation have been submitted, 78 of which have been deemed valid.
Of the 89 requests, six were immediately dismissed for not meeting the defined regulatory criteria (in four cases, no sexual violence occurred, one case was unrelated to the Catholic Church in Portugal, and another allegation involved a deceased accused at the time of the alleged incidents).
In two cases, the claimants did not attend the evaluation interview, while two others ceased communication for scheduling their interview.
One case awaits a judicial decision.
Data from CEP also reveal that the inquiry commissions have interviewed 72 individuals so far. Of these, 51 were under the jurisdiction of diocesan commissions, 19 were associated with religious institutes, and two involved both ecclesial structures (dioceses and religious institutes).
An additional six individuals have recently requested compensation, with interviews being scheduled.
To date, based on the 72 interviews conducted, 66 reports have been prepared and are presently under review by the compensation committee.
At the end of September, CEP announced having validated 77 of 84 financial compensation requests related to sexual abuse within the Catholic Church.
Commissions, comprising two individuals from legal, psychology, and psychiatry fields, were established for each of the 77 validated requests, and 70 interviews had been conducted by then.
Upon completion of most reports, the compensation committee will operate to freely determine the financial compensation amounts.
The committee includes seven legal experts: two appointed by CEP, two by the National Coordinating Team for Diocesan Protection Commissions for Minors and Vulnerable Adults, two by Group VITA (established by CEP to address sexual abuse issues within the Catholic Church), and one by the Conference of Religious Institutes of Portugal.
During the bishops’ assembly on Monday, CEP President José Ornelas acknowledged that the timeline for awarding financial compensations might extend beyond the end of the year to accommodate additional requests.
