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Polish Activists Demand Punishment for Convicted Clergy


Protesters hold a map of Poland with 255 documented and alleged cases of sexual abuse of minors by the country's Catholic priests as they march in Warsaw, Poland, Oct. 7, 2018.
Protesters hold a map of Poland with 255 documented and alleged cases of sexual abuse of minors by the country's Catholic priests as they march in Warsaw, Poland, Oct. 7, 2018.

Polish activists met with lawmakers Monday in Warsaw to demand Catholic priests convicted of sexually abusing children be punished, and that the statute of limitations for prosecution in such cases be extended.

Attending were lawyers, psychologists, and representatives from Have No Fear, a Polish foundation that advocates on behalf of people who say they were abused by priests. Organization president Marek Linksi called for an independent commission to investigate clergy abuse.

The foundation published a map Sunday that it said identifies the sites of child abuse by clergy across Poland. The map shows allegations and the confirmed cases of 225 children under age 15.

Lisinski said the number was likely only "the tip of an iceberg."

The leaders of the Catholic Church in Poland have said they will publish a report on the scale of the problem by the end of November.

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