Dutch bishops apologize for abuse of thousands

[ via Mercury News ] 16 Dec

Roman Catholic bishops in the Netherlands said Friday that they offered "sincere apologies" to victims of sexual mistreatment, hours after a report by an official commission said church officials had "failed to adequately deal with" abuse, including rape, affecting as many as 20,000 Dutch children in Catholic institutions.

It remained unclear, however, whether the report broke new ground in a debate over the relationship between sexual abuse and Roman Catholic institutions.

"Sexual abuse of minors," the reports says bluntly, "occurs widely in Dutch society."

Read full story for details 

Posted in: Aplogise, Bishops, Child Sexual Abuse, Dutch