Cleaning Out The Catholic Hierarchy In Chile Following Sex Abuse Allegations
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The Catholic church in Chile has recently been accused of engaging in a high-level cover up of sexual abuse by members of the organization. Numerous catholic bishops have been subpoenaed on suspicions of having committed the abuse of a minor, or covering it up, or both.
At least 27 percent of the bishops in Chile have been accused and subpoenaed.
An earlier lower court ruling which had determined there was no proof of a cover-up by the church has also been overturned.
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The Chilean court recently affirmed that all institutions, including the catholic church, have a duty to protect the rights of citizens and that they aren't permitted to cover-up any sexual abuses with impunity. It's alleged that the church had harmed the victims by refusing to investigate claims diligently, and instead had dismissed them.
Some protesters have called for all bishops to resign amid the scandal. And Pope Francis has reportedly acknowledged a culture of abuse that exists and has been taking place in Chile, according to Vatican investigators. That was after he had allegedly suggested that some of the accusations were nothing more than slander, to which he later apologized.
Investigators have been looking into dozens of cases, allegedly more than 100 potential victims might have suffered.
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pixabay
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