A Step Toward Truth: The Second Report on Clerical Abuse in Italy

The Second Report on Sexual Abuse in the Clergy, recently published by Rete L’ABUSO and compiled by its founder Francesco Zanardi, marks another crucial step in the long struggle for truth and justice for survivors of clerical abuse in Italy.

As the Italian representative of ECA Global, Zanardi has spent years documenting cases that institutions have failed to acknowledge, bringing to light a reality that remains largely hidden. His work — and this new report — are vital not only for Italian survivors, but for every person seeking accountability and protection from abuse within religious institutions.

A Wake-Up Call for Institutions

The report reveals what Zanardi and Rete L’ABUSO have denounced for years: Italy still lacks effective systems to prevent sexual abuse against minors and vulnerable people.
Between 2000 and 2025, more than 1,100 members of the clergy were identified in confirmed or documented cases, involving over 4,000 victims — the vast majority of them minors. Yet, nearly three out of four of these cases were never reported to judicial authorities.

This silence, Zanardi notes, is not accidental. It reflects the absence of mandatory reporting laws for private citizens and the persistence of institutional mechanisms that prioritize secrecy over transparency. Even today, many known offenders remain outside any official monitoring system — a gap that undermines both justice and prevention.

Beyond Punishment: The Need for Prevention

The report stresses that Italy continues to focus primarily on punishment after abuse occurs, rather than on true prevention.
There is still no national education or awareness program for minors, no independent investigative commission, and no comprehensive system of protection that includes volunteers and clergy under the same legal obligations as public officials.

This lack of prevention, combined with a culture of silence, perpetuates the conditions that allow abuse to continue.

Giving Voice to Survivors

Through years of persistent advocacy, Francesco Zanardi and Rete L’ABUSO have created one of the few independent archives documenting the scope of clerical abuse in Italy.
Their data now serve as a reference for international human rights bodies, including the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, which has repeatedly called on Italy to take stronger action.

For Zanardi, this work is not about numbers, but about voices — the voices of survivors who have been ignored for too long.

“Every report, every testimony we collect,” he says, “is an act of resistance against silence. Each survivor who speaks helps build a safer future for others.”

A Shared Responsibility

ECA Global stands alongside Francesco Zanardi and all survivors in Italy in calling for:

• the introduction of mandatory reporting for all citizens;

• a revision of the current laws to include clergy and volunteers;

• the establishment of an independent national commission to investigate past and present abuse cases;

• and comprehensive education programs to protect children and prevent future crimes.

The Second Report is both an act of civic courage and a tool for change — a document that reminds us that justice begins with truth, and truth begins when silence ends.

For a detailed overview of the findings, you can read the full report on Rete L’ABUSO:
https://retelabuso.org/2025/10/23/2-report-sugli-abusi-sessuali-nel-clero/