Groningen Catholic diocese to pay out sexual abuse claims

The diocese of Groningen/Friesland is paying a total of 700 thousand euros in compensation to two victims of sexual abuse within the diocese, according to the annual report of Hotline Sexual Abuse Roman Catholic Church, RTV Noord reports. According to the diocese, both cases involved the same perpetrator, who died even before the cases got started. As much of the sexual abuse happened in the 50's and 60's, many of the perpetrators are now deceased. "But the impact on the victims remain high", Ben Spekman, spokesperson for the hotline, said to the broadcaster. The Catholic Church itself established the hotline five years ago when it became known that priests abusing kids, with the knowledge of the church, was a widespread problem. Over the past five years, the hotline received 3,656 complaints from Dutch victims. 700 of these victims received compensation, totaling at 21 million euros. The payment of compensation to the two victims from the Groningen/Friesland diocese brings an end to the five years of investigation and compensation payouts to victims.