The Protocol for Compensation to Victims of Sexual Abuse in the Church does not set standards and will be considered on a case-by-case basis

On Monday, 30 March, the Spanish Government, the Catholic Church and the Ombudsman signed a protocol for the implementation of reparation for victims of sexual abuse committed within the Church, which does not establish compensation standards, and which sets 15 April as the date for victims to begin submitting applications.

At a press conference, the President of the Spanish Episcopal Conference and Archbishop of Valladolid, Luis Argüello, stated that the reference to yardsticks was expressly rejected. "It is not a question of setting figures and limits, but of a proposal fora comprehensive arrangement  ", he explained.

For his part, the Spanish Minister of Justice, Félix Bolaños, has pointed out that the yardsticks have not been introduced because " each case is discussed in detail ".

In any event, it specifies that the convention establishes criteria such as severity or repetition of damage. "Fair reparation must not be determined by a minimum or maximum figure," it stresses.

In this regard, it has indicated that victims who had previously resorted to the Church Protocol may apply to the Ombudsman to review the case and determine whether the compensation they received should be "improved, supplemented or exceeded".