Portguese child abuse scandal

The BBC reports on a child abuse scandal from Portugal, where six men have been found guilty of the sexual abuse of children at a home in Lisbon. One man was given an 18-year sentence after confessing to 639 charges relating to the abuse of children or procuring them for others. His co-defendants, including a former TV presenter were jailed for between five and seven years.

Europe seems to have had less scandals involving the abuse in children’s homes than the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, where police investigations and criminal prosectuions have been frequent. This year there were a number of allegations of abuse against Catholic priests in Germany and Austria. A very good book on the subject of child abuse compensation claims in different jurisdictions is “Child Abuse Tort Claims against Public Bodies – A Comparative Law View” edited by Duncan Fairgrieve and Sarah Green and published by the British Institute of International and Comparative Law.