Each recognised survivor of Church sexual abuse to receive 3,000 euros in additional support
Each officially recognised survivor of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in Belgium will receive an additional 3,000 euros in financial support, which is being funded by the country’s dioceses and religious congregations. According to Stichting Dignity, the foundation coordinating support for victims, the total allocation could exceed 2.5 million euros.
This announcement followed a meeting in Brussels on Saturday, which was part of a series of 'encounter days' intended to give survivors a voice in shaping policy. A total of 1,591 victims will benefit.
An urgent and necessary step towards recognition and care
National coordinator Jessika Soors explained that the measure aims to make psychotherapeutic care more accessible pending the creation of a permanent legal framework for victims of sexual abuse, both within and outside the Church. She stressed that, although the past cannot be undone, the new payment represents "an urgent and necessary step towards recognition and care".
Archbishop Luc Terlinden stated that the Church "acknowledges the urgency and the profound suffering of survivors" and described the measure as "a concrete sign of continued accountability and recovery".
Godforsaken
The issue of sexual abuse in the Belgian Church gained renewed attention following the 2023 documentary series Godvergeten ('Godforsaken'), which prompted widespread outrage and led all Flemish political parties to support a parliamentary inquiry into the Church’s handling of abuse cases.
This came more than a decade after 'Operation Chalice' (Operatie Kelk), the major federal investigation into whether Church leaders had tried to conceal or failed to report child abuse. The public reaction also shaped Pope Francis’s visit to Belgium in 2024, during which he apologised to victims.
In May 2024, a parliamentary commission published 137 recommendations on how to improve support for victims and increase Church accountability. A new inquiry launched in September 2024 is examining possible flaws in the earlier Operation Chalice investigation.
© BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS
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