In Portugal, 4,815 minors are believed to have been sexually abused by members of the Catholic Church. The average age of most victims is 11 years old

This is stated in the investigation of an independent commission, according to the public broadcaster RTP.

On February 13, an independent commission presented the results of the investigation, which recorded 512 testimonies of people who reported violence by priests or other church officials.

The commission notes that in many cases, witnesses' statements indicate that other minors were abused too. Therefore, the number of victims is much higher than the number of people who testified.

77% of violent acts were committed by priests.

In total, the investigation collected data for the last 72 years, starting from 1950. The investigation began in January 2022.

According to the investigators, 25 cases were handed over to the prosecutor's office. The statute of limitations does not apply to many others.