Abuse of nuns: one of the Catholic Church’s last taboos

With reports of sexual assaults rising, the future pope will have to address the issue, writes Agnès Pedrero

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Nuns sexually assaulted by priests are one of the last Catholic taboos, but with reports of abuse rising, it is a scandal that will be difficult for the future pope to ignore.

"In the past, the nuns suffered a lot and couldn't talk about it to anyone; it was like a secret,’ Sister Cristina Schorck said, walking through St Peter’s Square with her parents.

The 41-year-old Brazilian, who works with the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Rome, said Pope Francis, who died last month, opened “a first door” for women to speak out.

After an unprecedented summit at the Vatican on clerical sexual violence in 2019, a series of measures were taken, including lifting the pontifical secret on abuse and an obligation for people to report cases to their superiors.