Garcia-Salmones told Reuters he hoped the findings of the independent report on the abuse of minors in the Catholic... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreMADRID, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Spain's Catholic Church on Tuesday apologised to victims of sexual abuse by priests, but questioned the accuracy of a new survey that suggested such abuse was far more widespread nationwide than previous investigations have found. The Church has faced sexual abuse scandals in several countries including the United States, Ireland and France over past decades. But the issue only surfaced for public debate in Spain, where nearly 60% of people describe themselves as Catholic, following a landmark media investigation in 2021. An internal Church investigation published in June identified 728 alleged sexual abusers among Spain's clergy and 927 victims since the 1940s. Reporting by Emma Pinedo and Inti Landauro, editing by Andrei Khalip and John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Persons: Fernando Garcia, Garcia, Salmones, Cardinal Juan Jose Omella, Francisco Garcia, Emma Pinedo, Inti, Andrei Khalip, John Stonestreet Organizations: Reuters, Catholic, Bishops ' Conference, The, Conference, Thomson Locations: Madrid, Spain, MADRID, United States, Ireland, France, El Pais