The Catholic Church in Australia has paid compensation totalling £170 million (A$276 million) to thousands of child abuse survivors since 1980, an inquiry has
Documents presented to a royal commission into institutional abuse in Australia said 3,066 people had received some sort of compensation from church-run schools and residential sites during the 35 years to 2015.
The investigation, which has the power to call witnesses and recommend prosecutions, is expected to report back with its final findings to the Australian government in December.
According to Reuters, the average financial payment to abuse survivors was A$91,000 (£56,000) although not everyone received a cash payment.
The figures are based on the analysis of records kept by Catholic Church authorities in Australia.
The royal commission was previously told that seven per cent of priests serving in Australian between 1950 and 2010 were accused of sex abuse, however, few allegation were pursued.
Meanwhile, victim advocates argue a significant disparity in compensation payments from 1,049 Catholic institutions mean abuse compensation claims should be overseen by the government.
The Australian government says a A$4.3 billion redress scheme for victims will begin in 2018.
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