The Portuguese president is seeking to quell an outcry over his comments that appear to shed light on revelations that more than 400 people have been sexually abused by children through members of the Portuguese Catholic Church.
A secular committee tasked with investigating former sexual abuse of children at the church said Tuesday it has so far compiled a list of 424 alleged victims dating back to 1950. Hundreds of priests are suspected, some of whom have died.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa commented on the revelation: “Having 400 cases does seem like a lot to me because in other countries investigating in shorter periods, there have been thousands of cases. “
Portugal has one of 10. 3 million.
The head of state drew widespread criticism, accusing him of a lack of compassion, and hours later, a statement on the presidential website sought to explain his thinking.
The president, he said, “regrets that few people have come forward, because the generality does not seem to be the best given the sad reality that it is probably true, both in Portugal and in the rest of the world. “
The head of state also needs investigations to continue and any evidence to be referred to the attorney general’s office, he added.
But the uproar didn’t subside, prompting De Sousa to give separate live interviews to two national broadcasters, where he said the cases were “very serious. “
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Antonio Costa came to the president’s aid, telling reporters he was certain the head of state’s initial comments had been misinterpreted.
The commission of inquiry, which began work last January, continues to urge patients to come forward.
Before the panel began its work, senior church officials claimed that only a few cases of abuse had occurred in Portugal.
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