The clarification from Grupo VITA follows concerns raised by the Associação Coração Silenciado, which represents victims of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. The association expressed “concern and indignation” on Monday regarding the process of analysis and financial compensation, lamenting the lack of information about the total amount to be allocated.
The association also claimed that interviews were conducted “in an excessively inquisitorial manner without access to mobile phones, pens, or paper for the victims, requiring them to repeat the same accounts in sessions that extended up to eight hours.”
In a statement, Grupo VITA, which also included members of the Instruction Commissions, reiterated that the financial compensation allocation process adhered to the defined deadline for the preparation of reports (August 31, 2025).
Since then, the process has been ongoing with the Amount Fixing Group and the Episcopal Conference of Portugal (CEP), according to the statement.
The Group notes that in the context of processes for allocating potential financial compensation, the Instruction Commissions conducted individual interviews with each person who submitted a request.
“These interviews were conducted based on a semi-structured interview guide (developed according to specialized literature) and, in no case, did an interview last eight hours. There were situations where it was necessary to conduct more than one interview (two),” the statement mentioned.
According to the Group, created by the CEP, interviews generally lasted about two and a half hours on average, all featuring “regular breaks and always with the express consent of the interviewee.” There was also one instance where the interviewee requested a third interview.
The Group also clarifies that throughout the process, mobile phone use was always allowed after an incident where one victim attempted to record the interview without consent.
Grupo VITA highlights that victims were never prevented from using paper and pen, as claimed by the Association. On the contrary, several participants took notes during interviews, “demonstrating the total freedom and autonomy that was always assured to them.”
It also emphasizes that victims “are listened to individually or in small groups (within the scope of the recent Sobre.VIVER project), ensuring a safe and respectful space.”
The Group also notes that on October 26, it contacted the Associação Coração Silenciado via email, acknowledging the importance of their mission and inviting them to join the Sobre.VIVER project, but no response has been received.
On November 13, CEP announced that, until that day, 89 requests for financial compensation following abuses in the Catholic Church had been submitted, 78 of which were considered effective.
On Thursday, the coordinator of Grupo VITA, Rute Agulhas, stated that “effective does not necessarily mean they will receive compensation,” as the 93 cases are under review and study, with some still awaiting information from the Church itself.
