Since 1950, 3,000 paedophiles operated in French Catholic Church, says report  

Since 1950, around 3,000 paedophiles seem to have operated in Catholic Church in France.

The striking revelation has been made by the head of an independent commission, which is investigating the scandal, to AFP news agency, days ahead of the release of its report.

Due to be released on Tuesday, the report has been made after two-and-a-half years of research, which was based on court, police and church archives, and interviews with witnesses.

Commission's chairman Jean-Marc Sauve, said, the research found between 2,900 and 3,200 paedophile priests or other church members. Sauve added that it was "a minimum estimate".

Sauve, who is also a senior French civil servant, said, the report runs into 2,500 pages. It looks to quantify both the number of offenders and victims.

The report looked into "the mechanisms, notably institutional and cultural ones" within the Church, which allowed paedophiles to function. It will also offer 45 proposals.

In 2018, the independent commission was set up by the Bishops' Conference of France (CEF). It was formed after a number of scandals shook the Church in France and worldwide.

The commission constitutes 22 legal professionals, doctors, historians, sociologists and theologians. Its objective was to investigate allegations of child sex abuse by clerics since 1950s.

(With inputs from agencies)