The Associação Coração Silenciado has expressed deep concern and outrage over the handling of the review and compensation process for victims of sexual violence within the Portuguese Catholic Church, accusing the Portuguese Episcopal Conference (CEP) of lacking “transparency and accountability,” as stated in a recent communication.
The association claims “each new phase further highlights a pattern of opacity, sluggishness, and disrespect for those who have suffered abuse.” It regrets that, so far, no information has been disclosed about the total amount available for compensating the approximately 90 individuals recognized by the Church.
The association’s statement follows an announcement by Grupo VITA, established by the CEP to address sexual abuse cases within the Catholic Church. The group revealed Thursday in Fátima that the number of compensation requests has risen to 93 and that the assessment and interview process is expected to be completed by early 2026, at which point the CEP will proceed with the allocation of compensations.
Associação Coração Silenciado demands that the victims have “immediate and full access to the opinions concerning them, that the compensation process becomes fully transparent, dignified, and survivor-centered, and that the Catholic Church in Portugal ends the culture of concealment, which continues to compromise truth and justice.”
“Reparation cannot be an administrative farce. It must be an act of responsibility, courage, and respect for the destroyed lives,” emphasizes the association, noting that “the process has progressed at a pace that induces anxiety, weariness, and retraumatization for the victims.”
According to the association, the interviews were conducted “in an overly inquisitorial manner, without allowing victims access to mobile phones, pens, or paper, forcing them to repeat the same accounts in sessions that lasted up to eight hours.”
On November 13, the CEP announced that 89 requests for financial compensation due to abuse in the Catholic Church had been presented, with 78 deemed valid.
On Thursday, Rute Agulhas, coordinator of Grupo VITA, stated that “validated does not necessarily mean they will receive compensation,” as the 93 cases are still under review, with some awaiting further information from the Church.
Agulhas also mentioned that Grupo VITA had not been asked to suggest a financial compensation amount but rather to conduct a “somewhat transnational analysis” to understand “what happened in other countries.”
By comparing this information with national jurisprudence, Rute Agulhas believes that financial compensation values can be determined.
Grupo VITA, formed by the CEP to oversee cases of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, is presented as an autonomous and independent structure aimed at welcoming, listening to, supporting, and preventing situations of sexual violence against children and vulnerable adults in the context of the Catholic Church.
