Dutch Catholic Church Accused of Sex Cover-up; Over Half of Its Clerics Covered Up Sex Assaults

A Dutch newspaper reported on September 15, 2018 that more than half of the Netherlands' senior clerics were involved in covering up sexual assaults of children between 1945 and 2010, according to The Guardian website.

Over the course of 65 years, 20 of 39 Dutch cardinals, bishops, and their auxiliaries "covered up sexual abuse," the daily NRC reported.

Church spokeswoman Daphne van Roosendaal said the church could "confirm a part" of the report.

Most of the accused clerics have since died. Those still alive declined to comment, NRC said.