Radio Netherlands Worldwide and newspaper NRC Handelsblad have received dozens of reactions to their joint report on sexual abuse at a Catholic boarding school in the Netherlands in the 1960s and 1970s.

The responses relate to abuse at the school, but also to the fact that priests were allowed to continue teaching even after the abuse had come to light. It appears that complaints from pupils at the single-sex school for boys were not taken seriously at the time or in subsequent years.

Since the story broke, 16 people have reported cases of sexual abuse to the 'Hulp en Recht' (Support and Justice) commission which was created by the Dutch bishops 15 years ago to provide support to victims of sexual abuse by priests and other clerics. The number of cases reported at the weekend is roughly equal to the number normally received in an entire year.

The Bishop of Rotterdam, Ad van Luyn, has expressed shock at the Radio Netherlands Worldwide/NRC Handelsblad report and has called for an investigation.

In parliament, the Labour Party and conservative VVD are also demanding an investigation into sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church.

© Radio Netherlands Worldwide