French clergy reportedly abused at least 10,000 people since 1950

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(CNN) -

French Catholic clergy may have abused at least 10,000 minors and other vulnerable people since 1950, according to an independent investigation established by the Church in France.

The Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church (Ciase) "estimates that the number of victims could reach 'at least 10,000'," it says in a statement released Monday.

The Commission said that so far it had received 6,500 testimonies, which concern at least 3,000 different victims.

Jean-Marc Sauvé, president of the Ciase, said that it is not known at this time what percentage of all victims have testified before the Commission.

“It is very possible that the victims reach at least the figure of 10,000.

The work in progress, and in particular the survey of the general population, will make it possible to specify the number, ”he said.

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The Commission was established in 2018 by the hierarchy of the French Catholic Church and religious institutes after abuse scandals came to light.

It is funded by the French Catholic Bishops Conference, but members are not paid or instructed by the Church.

Archives of dioceses and religious institutions are accessible to the Commission.

The report is ready to be delivered in the fall of 2021.

Sexual abuse in the Church

In May 2019, Pope Francis issued global rules for reporting sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, ordering for the first time that all dioceses establish systems for reporting abuse and cover-ups.

The rules require that all Catholic dioceses in the world have a "public and accessible" system.

• Pope Francis eliminates papal secrecy in cases involving sexual abuse

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The standards cover the internal procedure of the Catholic Church, not the issue of reporting abuses or cover-ups to civil authorities, and all dioceses must follow them.

Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the Vatican's leading sex abuse investigator, told CNN at the time that the new rules added a layer of responsibility for Church leaders.

"First of all, leadership is not above the law," said Scicluna, "and second, that leadership must know, all of us in leadership must know that if the people love the Church, they will Report when we do something wrong.

- CNN's Delia Gallagher, Hada Messia and Jack Guy contributed to this report.

Sexual abuse in the Church