Church commission says 4800 victims 'tip of the iceberg' // Analysing Lisbon’s earthquake risk

Portuguese news in English on Monday, February 13, 2023.

Church sex abuse commission points to more than 4800 victims

The commission investigating child sex abuse in the Portuguese Catholic Church has found at least 4,815 children were abused over the past 70 years, Reuters reports, in English. The commission appointed to investigate the shameful part of the church’s history released its long awaited findings today. Psychiatrist and commission head Pedro Strecht said the thousands of victims, a figure arrived at by speaking directly with more than 500 victims, analysing historical church documents and interviewing bishops and other members of the clergy, was “just the tip of the iceberg”. Of the perpetrators, 77% were priests and 57% of the victims were male. Twenty-five of the complaints have been sent to the public prosecutors’ office for investigation, given the 20-year statute of limitations has lapsed for many. The church issued an apology to the victims.

Analysing Lisbon’s earthquake risk

The tragedy emerging from the earthquake that shook Turkey and Syria, killing more than 30,000 people, is unimaginable. You can read about how to help the victims here, thanks to Time.

Given Lisbon’s infamous almost-destruction at the hands of a quake and resulting tsunami in 1755, questions have been asked about the city’s preparedness, yielding a mixed bag of results. Lisbon is the European city with the second-highest seismic risk, according to Mário Lopes from the Instituto Superior Técnico, behind only Istanbul in Turkey. Of the roughly 450,000 buildings in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, almost 68% were built before effective tremor-protection measures were in place, Público reports. The first legislation came into force in the late ‘50s but experts say it wasn’t until 1990 that the first buildings taking these concerns into account really started to be built. These days, one expert says, proper monitoring is needed to ensure things are being done the right way, along with measures to ensure any renovations are done taking earthquake risk into account. 

Having said all this, Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) president Miguel Miranda says, although the comparison is complicated, but it would be unlikely to see the same level of destruction in Portugal, partly because the nation’s quakes have generally been in the sea rather than on land.

SNS failing women on abortion rights

The National Health System (SNS) is failing to comply with laws enforcing the right to an abortion, creating huge problems for those seeking one, Diário de Notícias reports. The newspaper rang multiple hospitals around the country posing as a woman from Guarda, between Serra da Estrela and the eastern border with Spain. It encountered a series of hospitals refusing to do abortions and passing her on to another service, in one case more than 80 kilometres away. One woman who’d actually gone through the process recently described it as an “obstacle course” while another said a hospital worker in Lisbon told her the unit didn’t provide abortions because it was “pro life”. Many had to wait several times longer than the legally stipulated five-day maximum to be seen, and even then, those appointments ended up being just for forwarding or dating of the pregnancy, not the stipulated pre-consultation. The law giving women the right to an abortion until 10 weeks came into force in 2007.

In brief

• Fight to intensify after biggest teacher protest ever. About 150,000 heeded the calls of nine unions to strike on Saturday. Doctors, nurses, police, drivers and public servants all have plans to strike in the near future. (Diário de Notícias)

• Last year's median wage rose to €1411, but fell in real terms. The before-tax figure was up 3.6% compared to 2021 but down 4% in real terms thanks to inflation. (Dinheiro Vivo)

• Netflix announces end of password sharing in Portugal. Portugal, Spain, New Zealand and Canada are the first countries outside of Latin America to be hit in the crackdown, which came into force on February 8. (Público) 

On a lighter note

It’s still early in the year, which means plenty of time to get out there and see more of Portugal. If you’re looking for inspiration, you might want to check out my partner (and editor) Daniela’s latest look at the country’s 16 most beautiful villages and small towns. From Soajo in the north’s Peneda-Gerês National Park to Tavira in the Algarve, hopefully you’ll stumble across somewhere new to fall in love with.