Roman Catholic bishops in the Netherlands have decided to permit an external, independent investigation into sexual abuse by members of its institutions. Wim Deetman, a former education minister and mayor of The Hague, is to lead the investigation.

Speaking on behalf of the bishops, Bishop Gerard de Korte said, "We have been deeply affected by the [recent] moving stories of sexual abuse. It is dark page in the history of the Catholic Church."

The abuse came to light following revelations by Radio Netherlands Worldwide and the NRC Handelsblad newspaper that, during the 1960s and 1970s, boys at a boarding school in the town of 's-Heerenberg had been molested by Salesian fathers. The appearance of that story led to hundreds of other reports of abuse. Similar revelations have also surfaced in Germany and Austria.

In a statement, the Vatican said the clerical authorities in the Netherlands had reacted quickly and vigorously to the news of the sexual abuse of children.

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