Kirchenakte Documented events from judgments, reports and church documents
1945-2010 · 65 years · show in timeline

Sexual abuse of minors in the Catholic Church in the Netherlands (Deetman Commission)

An independent commission set up by the Bishops' Conference and the religious superiors under the former minister Wim Deetman estimated that between 1945 and 1981 about 10,000 to 20,000 minors in Catholic institutions were sexually abused by church workers. Around 800 perpetrators from dioceses and religious orders could be identified by name. Bishops and superiors knew about the problem but did not report acts; they transferred perpetrators instead, and victims were pressed to keep silent, also in the confessional. According to the commission, the risk in Catholic homes and boarding schools was twice the average, but not higher than in non-Catholic institutions.

Period
1945-2010 (65 years)
Report published
16 December 2011
Country
Netherlands
Institutions
Catholic Church in the Netherlands
Netherlands Bishops' Conference
Religious orders
Category
Violence, Sexual abuse, Cover-up
Level of evidence
A Primary source · what does this mean?

What happened to the people

Who was affected? Victims and numbers

  1. The commission estimates the number of minors raised as Catholics who were sexually abused by church workers in Catholic institutions between 1945 and 1981 at about 10,000 to 20,000 (estimate). The assaults ranged from very minor to severe; several thousand suffered severe abuse.
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), Kap. 3, S. 9
    „between 1945 and 1981 is approximately 10,000 to 20,000. Their experiences ranged from very mild to severe.“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, Kap. 3, S. 9. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), Kap. 3, S. 10
    „It can be assumed that several thousands of these victims suffered serious abuse.“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, Kap. 3, S. 10. Original · Archive copy
  2. In 2010 the commission received around 2,000 reports, 1,795 of them concerning abuse of minors in the Church. Around 800 named perpetrators could be assigned to persons from dioceses, religious orders and congregations; at least 105 were still alive.
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), Kap. 3, S. 8
    „The Commission of Inquiry received around 2,000 reports and notifications between March and December 2010, of which 1,795 related to sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church.“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, Kap. 3, S. 8. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), Kap. 3, S. 10
    „A total of roughly 800 names of perpetrators mentioned in the reports could be traced to individuals who work or worked in dioceses, orders and congregations. At least 105 of those 800 persons are known to be still living.“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, Kap. 3, S. 10. Original · Archive copy
  3. In homes, boarding schools and seminaries the risk of sexual assault was twice the national average, but not significantly higher than in non-Catholic institutions. Children there were defenceless because their parents were not present; parents often believed the educators rather than their children.
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), Kap. 3, S. 9
    „It emerged that the risk was twice as high as the national average, but with no significant difference between Roman Catholic and non-Roman Catholic institutions.“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, Kap. 3, S. 9. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), Kap. 3, S. 9
    „they often gave the benefit of the doubt to the adults to whom they had entrusted the raising and education of their child“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, Kap. 3, S. 9. Original · Archive copy

How were they charged and sentenced?

  1. Reporting to the police was not part of the repertoire of either bishops or superiors; this was left to the victims and parents, who were not encouraged to do so. Perpetrators were transferred internally, retired early or suspended, some transferred abroad. At the end of the 1990s Rome offered to laicise paedophile priests ex officio; the bishops did not make use of this.
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), Kap. 4, S. 16
    „Reporting the case to the police was not part of the administrative repertoire of either the bishop or archbishop or the superior. That was left to the victims and their parents, who were certainly not encouraged to do so.“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, Kap. 4, S. 16. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), Kap. 4, S. 16
    „The measures that were taken against perpetrators were mainly internal sanctions, such as transfer, early retirement or (temporary) suspension.“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, Kap. 4, S. 16. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), Kap. 4, S. 13
    „one of the most common measures taken was to transfer the individual concerned, sometimes abroad“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, Kap. 4, S. 13. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), Kap. 4, S. 16
    „At the end of the 1990s Rome offered the bishops the option of intervening in the event of sexual abuse of children through ex officio laicisation of priests who were paedosexuals, but the bishops did not take it up in the succeeding years.“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, Kap. 4, S. 16. Original · Archive copy

What happened to those affected?

  1. Victims often suffered from the consequences for decades and received hardly any recognition. Young victims were often not taken seriously, told to keep silent or even accused of having provoked the abuse.
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), Kap. 4, Consequences of sexual abuse for victims, S. 19
    „Victims have often suffered for decades from the effects of abuse and have received little acknowledgement of the fact.“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, Kap. 4, Consequences of sexual abuse for victims, S. 19. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), Kap. 4, Help for and attention to victims, S. 18
    „Furthermore, young victims were often not taken seriously by those close to them. They were told to remain silent. There were also instances where victims were seen as having provoked the abuse.“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, Kap. 4, Help for and attention to victims, S. 18. Original · Archive copy

Background

Course of events

  1. In boarding schools of the Brothers of Charity (among others Eikenburg, Jonkerbosch), children were beaten despite a ban on corporal punishment, were given no food or had to stand in the cold for long periods. Children who were afraid of the brothers sought their closeness and thus became victims of sexual abuse more easily. At Huize St. Jozef in Cadier en Keer the commission found excessive violence combined with sexual abuse; the Diocese of Roermond had hardly investigated earlier complaints and played them down.
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), Kap. 4, S. 14
    „Former pupils have reported being beaten, not being given food or being forced to stand out in the cold for long periods.“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, Kap. 4, S. 14. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), Kap. 4, S. 14
    „Pupils who were afraid of the unpredictable and violent behaviour of brothers took care to become friends with them, as a result of which it was easier for them to become victims of sexual abuse.“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, Kap. 4, S. 14. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), Kap. 4, S. 14
    „The diocese of Roermond had scarcely investigated and had trivialised earlier complaints that had been cautiously expressed about this conduct.“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, Kap. 4, S. 14. Original · Archive copy

Why? Justification and motives (according to the sources)

  1. Superiors preferred penance, transfer and at most treatment to expulsion, so as not to lose members and to avoid scandals. Before the 1990s the Church sought contact with victims and settlements with them mainly to prevent damage to its reputation or a police report; in the confessional victims were warned to keep silent.
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), Kap. 4, S. 13
    „Penance, transfer and possibly treatment were apparently more appealing than expulsion from the order with a view to avoiding the loss of members or preventing a scandal.“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, Kap. 4, S. 13. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), Kap. 4, Help for and attention to victims, S. 18
    „important motives for the Roman Catholic Church to contact victims and try to reach a settlement with them were to avoid damage to its reputation or a report to the police. In the past the confessional was sometimes used to warn victims to remain silent.“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, Kap. 4, Help for and attention to victims, S. 18. Original · Archive copy

Who received the assets, who profited?

  1. According to the commission, apologies and compensation came as a rule only after 2000. Before the 1990s the Church sought contact with victims and an agreement with them mainly to avert damage to its reputation or a report to the police.
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), S. 18
    „Apologies and compensation generally date from after 2000.“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, S. 18. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), S. 18
    „important motives for the Roman Catholic Church to contact victims and try to reach a settlement with them were to avoid damage to its reputation or a report to the police“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, S. 18. Original · Archive copy

Response of the Church

  1. According to the commission, bishops and church leaders knew about the problem but in many cases did not act appropriately and cared too little for the victims. To avoid scandals, abuse was covered up.
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), Kap. 6, S. 20
    „Bishops and other church authorities were not ignorant of the problem of sexual abuse. Moreover, in the view of the Commission of Inquiry, in many cases they failed to take adequate action and paid too little attention to victims.“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, Kap. 6, S. 20. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman), Kap. 4, S. 16
    „consequently sexual abuse was covered up and measures were not taken in order to avoid any further scandal.“
    Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, Kap. 4, S. 16. Original · Archive copy

Original documents to read

  1. Commission report
    Onderzoekscommissie seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk (Kommission Deetman): Sexual abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church. Summary of the final report, 16 December 2011. Original · Archive copy (retrieved 12 Oct 2026)
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Last changed on 22 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.