BRUSSELS, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- A government commission in Belgium reported it had tallied 475 cases of alleged sexual abuse committed by Roman Catholic priests dating back to the 1950s.
The reports came from nearly every congregation in Belgium and involved minors as young as 2 years old, Radio France Internationale said Sunday.
The Commission on Church-Related Sexual Abuse Complaints, which was headed by a psychiatrist specializing in pedophilia, took most of its testimony in the wake of the resignation of the bishop of Bruges in April.
Bishop Roger Vangheluwe stepped down under pressure after admitting he had abused his nephew in the 1970s and 1980s. Vangheluwe issued a statement this weekend announcing he planned to leave the abbey where he has been living and relocate to an undisclosed location, The New York Times said.
RFI said the report found that most of the victims were male and ages 12 or above. Nearly 20 committed or attempted suicide due to the trauma.
The alleged abusers were mostly clergy; however, they also included religion teachers and adults working with youth groups. It was not known how many of the accused were still alive.
