A profile of French clergymen who sexually assaulted victims and a review.

Sexual abuse within the Catholic Church is a distressing concern. As part of the investigation conducted by the French Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church, we analysed available files of convicted sexual abusers between 1950 and 2020. We analysed the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of French clergymen sex offenders. Thirty-five clergymen were included. Sexual assaults were documented for 176 individuals in total, including 153 minors (79.7% male) and 23 adults (52.2% female). No sex offender assaulted both juvenile and adult victims. Homosexuality was declared in 50% of the perpetrators. A past history of child sexual abuse was observed in 30% (N = 9) of juvenile offenders. The mean number of victims per offender was around 5, with the highest mean number in male or both sex juvenile offenders. More than 90% of the victims were known to the perpetrator. Both hands-on and hands-off sexual offences occurred in over 80% of male juvenile offenders compared to less than 6% of female juvenile offenders and less than 17% of adult offenders. Sex offenders within the Catholic Church present some specificities in comparison to non religious sex offenders, such as a higher number of male juvenile victims somewhat older and more often known. Personal, interpersonal and systemic factors, some of which being specific, interact to foster sexual offence. Prevention of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church is crucial.