Portugal urges victims of clergy sexual abuse to break the silence

A person walks by a church in the center of Lisbon, Portugal, December 2, 2021. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes

LISBON (Reuters) - A commission investigating allegations of historical child sexual abuse by members of the Portuguese Catholic church urged victims on Thursday to speak up and help them lift a veil of silence around the issue.

"We want (victims) to report, finally and without fear, what happened to them," the head of the newly-created commission, psychiatrist Pedro Strecht, told a news conference during which he announced the team conducting the investigation.