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The allegations, from people born between 1933 and 2006, tell of psychological torment kept secret for decades.
A commission investigating child sexual abuse in the Portuguese Catholic Church has said more than 200 alleged victims had already been in touch to share their stories since its launch a month ago.
The abuse allegations have come from people born between 1933 and 2006, from various backgrounds, from every region of the country and also from Portuguese nationals living abroad.
Many of the 214 people who have shared their testimonies mentioned other children who might have been abused by the same person, the commission said in a statement on Thursday.
“The allegations reveal suffering… which, in some cases, has been hidden for decades,” the commission said. “For many, this is the first time they are breaking their silence.”
It started its work in early January after a major report by a commission in France revealed last year approximately 3,000 priests and religious officials sexually abused more than 200,000 children during the past 70 years.
It also followed pressure from prominent Portuguese Catholics to lift the veil of silence that had surrounded the issue.
Portuguese church officials said two years ago that authorities had investigated only about a dozen allegations of sexual abuse involving Portuguese priests since 2001.
More than half of those cases were dropped because church investigators decided there was not enough evidence to pursue them.
The six-person commission is primarily funded by the Roman Catholic Church itself, but its head, child psychiatrist Pedro Strecht, has said he would be the first to walk out if the Church tried to intervene in the process.
The commission, which has its own website and phone line, relied on alleged victims to come forward, but also on access to historic files from dioceses. They hoped to present the report by the end of this year.
Because most statements were received online, the committee has stepped up its efforts to reach people in less developed areas of the country who may not be used to using technology.
It has recruited the help of charities, civic associations and parish councils, among others, to help get the word out.
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