Former cabinet minister Wim Deetman, who chairs the independent commission investigating abuse in Roman Catholic institutions, is appealing to victims and perpetrators of abuse to contact the commission. The commission will continue to collect reports until 4 April.
Mr Deetman has asked the Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops and the Conference of Dutch Clerics to help publicise the appeal.
He added that the commission currently has a list of around 1,000 victims and perpetrators, although it still has to be checked for duplications. Since March of last year, the commission has received more than 2,000 reports of sexual and physical abuse.
In its interim report, the Deetman Commission advised Dutch bishops to reorganise the Roman Catholic Church's helpline Hulp en Recht (Help and Justice).
(imm/ae)
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