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A damning new inquiry has found that some 216,000 children, mostly boys, have been sexually abused by clergy in the French Catholic Church since 1950. The head of the inquiry said there were at least 2,900-3,200 abusers. The report's release follows a number of abuse claims and prosecutions against Catholic Church officials worldwide.

Francois Devaux, head of a victims' association, welcomed the release of the report. He says that this must herald a change in the way the Catholic Church is run, saying that the Church has wanted to solve issues internally in the past, rather than reaching out to outside organisations and that new protocols were needed.

"Behind the numbers, there are shattered lives."

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this interview and need advice, you can contact Befrienders International (https://www.befrienders.org/)

Photo: The Vatican (the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church) in Rome, Italy, at sunset Credit: Getty Images