Victims of the French Catholic Church have voiced criticism regarding recent changes implemented in the support provided. This change is under intense scrutiny, as Pope Leo XIV has a scheduled meeting with victims of sexual violence in Lourdes, in the southwest of the country, on September 27th, during his visit to France.
According to the agency France-Presse (AFP), those affected by sexual crimes received this alteration with skepticism, and criticisms began to emerge in large numbers shortly after the new model was disclosed in March.
In 2021, the French episcopate established the Independent National Reparation Body (Inirr), following a report that indicated around 330,000 victims of sexual violence within the Catholic Church since 1950. Marie Derain de Vaucresson, president of Inirr, informed AFP that 1,924 requests had been received since March 2022, and this body was responsible for handling cases that occurred in the dioceses.
There is another body that remains operational, and whose activities focus on cases involving religious congregations. The original purpose was to apply a restorative process of listening and recognition leading to a form of reparation, whether symbolic—such as installing a plaque or an apology—or financial, allowing victims to receive up to 60,000 euros.
Derain stressed that Inirr was created to provide a response when other options were unavailable, particularly within the judicial sphere. This body, which was initially planned for three years and later extended, is concluding its activities today and will no longer accept new claims, although it will continue to monitor ongoing processes for more than 18 months.
For those seeking reparation, starting from September 1st (Tuesday), they must contact a structure called Renaître (Rebirth). The Conference of Bishops of France (CEF) presents this new arrangement as a 'continuity' and not a 'break'.
Under this new system, victims need to contact reception centers in the dioceses, which will subsequently refer the cases to a local support system, organized as an independent national body.
Meanwhile, Ampaseo Michèle Le Reun-Gaigné, president of the victims' defense collective, described the new scheme as a 'hollow shell,' emphasizing that the termination of Inirr represents a 'catastrophe' due to the disappearance of an independent and competent body. Michèle Le Reun-Gaigné also expressed concern about the existence of procedures she considered very unequal among different dioceses. Furthermore, the chosen name, Renaître, was deemed inappropriate by many victims' advocacy groups.