A victims’ group in Italy claimed on Friday that almost 4,400 people have suffered abuse by Catholic priests since 2020, increasing pressure on church leaders to address the long-running crisis within the world’s largest Christian community.

The unofficial tally by Rete l’Abuso, Italy’s largest church abuse victims’ group, is based on victims’ accounts, judicial sources and cases reported by the media, the founder of the association Francesco Zanardi said.

Rete l’Abuso did not say how far back the alleged abuse cases occurred.

The Italian Bishops Conference (CEI), which was criticised by the Vatican’s child protection commission last week, had no comment on the findings, a spokesperson said.

Decades-Long Problem

The global Catholic Church has been shaken for decades by scandals invo

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