French Catholic Church had an estimated 3,000 paedophiles since 1950s - commission head

FILE PHOTO: Stained-glass windows are seen inside the Reims Cathedral, built in the Gothic style and a UNESCO world heritage site, where 31 kings of France were coronated, in Reims, France, April 18, 2019. Picture taken April 18, 2019. REUTERS/Charles Platiau

PARIS (Reuters) -The French Catholic Church has had an estimated 3,000 paedophiles in its ranks over the past 70 years, the head of an independent commission investigating the sex abuse scandal said in an interview published on Sunday.

The scandal in the French Church is the latest to hit the Roman Catholic Church, which has been rocked by sexual abuse scandals around the world, often involving children, over the past 20 years.