The head of an independent enquiry investigating church child abuse in France said Tuesday that there might have been at least 10,000 victims since 1950, reports Yahoo! News.
Jean-Marc Sauve, head of a commission set up by the Catholic Church, said that a previous estimate in June last year of 3,000 victims "is certainly an underestimate."
"It's possible that the figure is at least 10,000," he added at a press conference where he delivered an update on the commission's work.
A hotline set up in June 2019 for victims and witnesses to report abuse received 6,500 calls in the first 17 months of operation.
"The big question for us is 'how many victims came forward'? Is it 25 percent? 10 percent, five percent or less?" Sauve told reporters.
The Bishops' Conference of France agreed in November 2018 to set up the commission after huge and repeated child abuse scandals shook the Catholic Church at home and abroad.
The move sparked mixed reactions from victims' associations at the time, who applauded attempts to encourage survivors to speak out, but questioned French prosecutors' willingness and ability to press charges.