Victims hope pope's Portugal visit to shine spotlight on clerical abuse

FILE PHOTO: A person walks by a church in the center of Lisbon, Portugal, December 2, 2021. Picture taken with a slow shutter speed. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes/File Photo

LISBON (Reuters) - Filipa Almeida was 17 when she was sexually abused by a priest. She stayed silent for years but eventually found the strength to speak out and hopes a visit by Pope Francis to her native Portugal this week will remind the world of thousands of similar crimes.

"I lived with this secret for 22 years," the 43-year-old told Reuters of her ordeal, which she said occurred during a religious training course. "It's not easy to live with these experiences."