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PSC and Junts support the initiative after introducing an amendment to extend research to other areas of society
The Parliament has approved the proposal of ERC, CUP and En Comú Podem to create an investigation commission on sexual abuse and pederasty in the Catholic Churchalthough PSC and JxCat have managed to introduce an amendment to extend the investigation to other spheres, in addition to the ecclesiastical one.
This investigation commission, which is the first of these characteristics to be created in a Parliament of the Spanish State, has had the favorable votes of the three proponent groups: ERC, CUP and En Comú Podem, as well as PSC-Units, JxCat and Cs, while Vox and PP have voted against.
The PSC-Units deputy Ramon Swordler He has expressed his reluctance about the text, as the Christian Democrat deputy that he is, and has abstained in the committee’s vote, which has finally been approved with 116 votes in favor, 13 against and 1 abstention.
The objective of the commission is to “clarify the scope of pederasty within the Catholic Churchas well as in the school, sports and leisure areas, or other areas in which collaboration has occurred, to know the whole truthassume and purge responsibilities and open a process of reparation to all victims of sexual violence”.
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In the statement of reasons for the proposal, it is stated that “sexual violence against children” is “a serious problem that is often underestimated and silenced”, and it is recalled that “in Catalonia 1,009 complaints of sexual violence against children were filed during the year 2019, although it is estimated that the reported cases only represent 15%”.
After recalling the numerous complaints of abuse filed against Catholic religious, the approved text indicates that “before the inaction of the Catholic Churchthe Parliament promotes” the investigation commission.