200 new testimonies sent to the Sauvé Commission since the publication of the report

More than 200 new testimonies from victims of sexual violence have been received by the Sauvé Commission since the publication of the report of the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church (Ciase) on October 5, while the opening today of the plenary assembly of the French Bishops’ Conference in Lourdes.

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Half of the week of the Bishops’ Conference will be devoted to the fight against sexual violence in the Church and to discuss the issue of compensation for victims.

Some dioceses have also received new reports, such as the diocese of Strasbourg which has counted twenty in one month. Associations are also experiencing a new influx of testimonies, such as Parler and Revivre, which has heard from around thirty victims since the beginning of October, seven times more than in normal times.

The publication of the report “was a trigger”, explains Olivier Savignac, the founder of the Parler et Revivre association. “Each media coverage creates a resurgence of memories, this is called the return of traumatic amnesia, and others dare to release their words”, he explains.

The Bishops’ Conference has also launched a single telephone number for victims operational for 15 days and managed by France Victimes (01 41 83 42 17).