MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's Catholic Church said on Friday it would compensate victims of sexual abuse even in cases that have not been concluded because the offending priest has died, representing a shift from its previous position. And if that moral conclusion is reached, then there will be that moral reparation," Garcia Magan added after announcing that Spanish bishops had unanimously approved an "integral plan" to compensate victims. The Church had until now refused to compensate victims in cases where the abuser had died, a frequent occurrence. It follows other sexual abuse scandals involving the Catholic Church in a number of countries including the United States, Ireland and France. The ombudsman's report also criticised the Church for not cooperating fully with the investigation and for seeking to "minimise the phenomenon".

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Persons: Francisco Garcia Magan, Garcia Magan, Charlie Devereux, Emma Pinedo, Gareth Jones Organizations: Catholic Church, Spanish Bishops ' Conference, Catholic Locations: MADRID, Spanish, Spain, United States, Ireland, France