Spain's Catholic Church to compensate sexual abuse victims

FILE PHOTO: Empty pews are seen inside a Catholic church in Madrid, Spain, October 27, 2023.REUTERS/Susana Vera/File Photo

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's Catholic Church said on Friday it would compensate victims of sexual abuse even in cases that have not been concluded because the offending priest has died, representing a shift from its previous position.

In cases where there is no sentence, "we will also pay if the perpetrator is deceased or if there is a civil statute of limitations," Francisco Garcia Magan, secretary general of the Spanish Bishops' Conference, told a press conference.