Author: Clémence Douteau, Centre d’études en sciences sociales du religieux (Centre for Social Science Studies of Religion), École des hautes études en sciences sociales (School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences) -

Abstract: »This paper examines the issue of sexual abuse of nuns and its relation to the emergence of sex scandals within the Catholic Church in France since the late 2010s. While extensive research has been conducted on child sexual abuse and its circumstances, little is known about the progression from cases of pedocriminal priests to sex scandals that affect a wider audience within the ecclesiastical institution. To address this gap, this article presents a press review of articles about former nuns that have been published in the French press since 2001. It also includes 25 biographical interviews with ex-nuns. The study of claims made by former nuns reveals that abused nuns play a central role in the emergence of sex scandals, which extends the range of potential victims to include adults. However, they receive only marginal benefits from their mobilization, both in terms of living conditions and redress for abuse. These findings indicate that the management of abuse perpetuates the subordinate status of nuns in the ecclesiastical sphere and argue for the importance of greater investment in these issues by researchers.« (Source: Annual Review of the Sociology of Religion)

Wikipedia: History of Europe: History of France | Catholic Church: Catholic Church in France | Sex and the law: Sexual violence / Catholic Church sexual abuse scandals in France