8legs: Spanish bishops' conference

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Ahead of papal visit, Spain pushes forward with reparations for church sex abuse victims

Spain and its bishops approved a state-church reparations model to compensate abuse victims ahead of the papal visit.
The reparations process lets the ombudsman review cases and propose compensation for abuse victims.
Victims worry the reparations may be uneven and not legally binding.
Spain's reform follows El País's 2018 database on clergy abuse and a 2023 ombudsman report estimating hundreds of thousands of potential victims.
The program applies even to cases where perpetrators are dead or prosecutions have elapsed.
Pope Leo XIV has signaled a broader Vatican emphasis on acknowledging harm and just reparation for abuse victims.
A key concern is a lack of a formal minimum payout scale and non-binding outcomes.
Paula Alonso-Pimentel, a survivor, hopes the process will address long-standing harms.
The reparations framework includes independent expert review and potential symbolic, psychological, or economic compensation.
The reform marks Spain’s latest step in confronting a long history of clerical abuse and church silence.

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