Spain's Catholic Church reveals wide abuse claims

STORY: The Spanish Catholic Church’s internal investigation into child sexual abuse has so far identified 728 alleged abusers and 927 victims since the 1940s.

That’s according to initial findings relayed by Gabriel Vera, spokesperson for the Spanish Bishops' Conference.

“Because we recognize the damage caused and because we want to help all the victims by accompanying them, also in their healing. The Church is the most interested institution in knowing what has happened with sexual abuse. That’s why, even though it hurts, and the truth is sometimes uncomfortable, we are people of truth. And knowing the truth is an essential for us. If there is no truth, there is no church.”

Vera said some testimonies point to the same aggressor for several victims.

Several inquiries into members of the Spanish clergy and non-clerical staff have been launched, including one led by the country’s ombudsman.

Spain shone a light on the issue after newspaper El Pais reported more than 1,200 alleged cases, years after sexual abuse scandals rocked the Catholic Church in countries such as the U.S., Ireland and France.

The report, which compiled victims' testimonies and is not a proof of guilt or innocence, said more than 99% of the alleged perpetrators were male.

It found that half of the abusers were clerics.

Most of the recorded cases happened in the 1960s to 1980s.

According to the victims - most of them male - more than 63% of the alleged abusers have died.

Last year, the office of Spain's national prosecutor wrote in a letter to the ombudsman that the Church's internal investigation was "partial" and "of little use".