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The Spanish government and its Roman Catholic Bishops have reached an agreement on how to compensate victims who were sexually abused by clergymen who died or whose crimes may have been prohibited.
The agreement is intended to settle discrepancies that exist between the church and the government regarding the reparations of abuse victims.
In a press release, the Spanish Episcopal Conference (run by bishops) said that the new agreement would allow victims to go to the state and its ombudsman for help if they don’t wish to approach the church directly.
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Justice Minister Felix Bolaños said in a news conference in Madrid that ‘hundreds’ of victims whose aggressors had passed away or were now very old could finally receive recognition of the abuse and receive economic reparations paid by the church.
“Today, we have paid a debt to the victims,” Bolaños said.
“It’s true that the state has acted too late, but now we act.” Yesterday, victims were unable to do anything as these crimes were proscribed.
On Thursday, Archbishop Luis Arguello of the Spanish Episcopal Conference acknowledged that some victims didn’t feel comfortable approaching church offices.
Now, victims may turn to the government.
Arguello said the church had already paid out €2 million in compensation after taking up petitions by more than a hundred victims since its special committee opened in 2024.
In the new agreement, victims may approach the Justice Ministry to file their first petition.
The ministry will send it to Angel Gabilondo (the state’s ombudsman), who will review it and then propose a compensation package for the church committee to assess.
If the victim and church cannot reach an agreement, the case is referred to a joint panel with representatives from the church, the Ombudsman’s Office and victims’ organizations.
If that committee can’t agree, the ombudsman’s decision will stand, Bolaños said.
The window to file claims is open for a year.
After that, the agreement can be extended for an additional year if needed, according to Bolaños.
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