At least 440,000 potential victims of child crime in the Catholic Church in Spain

More than 440,000 minors could have been victims of sexual assault by religious figures in Spain, according to an estimate published this Friday by an independent commission of inquiry into child crime in the Catholic Church.

The report does not provide precise figures, but contains a survey carried out at the request of this commission among more than 8,000 people, according to which 0.6% of the Spanish adult population (nearly 39 million people) claimed to have been sexually assaulted, when they were minors, by religious figures.

Additionally, a slightly lower number of Spaniards (0.53%) reported being sexually assaulted as minors by lay people working in religious institutions.

The total peaks at 1.13% of the population, or 440,000 potential victims.