The hour-long meeting took place at the Vatican embassy in Madrid during the pope’s visit to Spain, according to a Vatican statement. The encounter followed a practice established by previous pontiffs of meeting abuse survivors during international trips and marked the first publicly known such meeting by Leo while abroad.

During the discussion, survivors shared their experiences and proposed measures aimed at strengthening the church’s response to abuse. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pope listened attentively and reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that victims’ recommendations help shape future efforts within the church.

“The pope listened with affection and attention, assured them of his closeness and that of the entire church community and pledged his commitment to ensuring that the suggestions received serve as a foundation for further efforts,” Bruni said.The meeting came as Spain’s Catholic Church continues a broader reckoning over clerical sexual abuse.

In 2023, Spain’s ombudsman published an 800-page report estimating that hundreds of thousands of people may have suffered abuse linked to the church over several decades, based on a survey of 8,000 respondents and an examination of 487 documented cases.

Spain’s bishops disputed that estimate, citing a separate church investigation that identified 728 sexual abusers within the Catholic Church since 1945.Ahead of the meeting, some survivor advocacy groups criticized the process used to select participants, arguing that many victims and organizations were excluded.

A small protest was held outside the Vatican embassy in Madrid.Juan Cuatrecasas, a spokesperson for the Robbed Childhood association, said the participating survivors did not represent all victims and accused church authorities of attempting to improve the institution’s image rather than fully addressing past failures.

Earlier on Monday, Leo addressed Spain’s bishops and called for stronger efforts to support survivors through listening, truth, justice and reparations. He said the church community must demonstrate a more determined commitment to prevention and safeguarding.“Every wounded person must be able to find sincere listening, welcome, protection and real paths to healing,” the pope told church leaders.

Spain this year launched a reparations framework for victims of clerical abuse whose cases are too old to be prosecuted. The mechanism, developed with the involvement of both the Spanish government and the Catholic Church, allows survivors to seek compensation and support, with authorities retaining a significant role in determining payouts.

Leo has previously emphasized the importance of listening to victims while also maintaining that the rights of accused clergy must be protected. Before becoming pope, the former Robert Prevost served as bishop of Chiclayo in Peru, where he handled abuse-related complaints on behalf of the Peruvian bishops’ conference and was involved in efforts to address allegations linked to the influential Catholic group Sodalitium Christianae Vitae.

Separately, Leo defended the Catholic Church’s position on the confidentiality of confession, amid growing debate in several countries over whether priests should be required to report abuse disclosed during sacramental confession.

Addressing Spain’s parliament, the pope described confessional secrecy as a matter of religious freedom, arguing that legal protections for confidential conversations between priests and penitents preserve an essential space for believers to speak freely without fear of external interference.

Three women who helped secure the conviction of a London man for historic sexual offences say the bond they formed during the legal process has become central to their recovery, as growing numbers of survivors of sexual violence choose to waive anonymity and speak publicly about their experiences.

Laura Hughes, Lauren Preston and Mary Sharp, now in their 40s and 50s, describe themselves collectively as “the girls,” a term they say reflects the close emotional support network that emerged after years of trauma connected to the same abuser, Martin Butler.

The women, who maintain regular contact through a WhatsApp group called Sister Solidarity, said their friendship developed after Butler was convicted for offences committed decades earlier.Martin Butler is serving a lengthy prison sentence after being convicted of the rape and buggery of Mary Sharp in 1988.

During the prosecution, Hughes and Preston provided evidence about separate abuse they said they experienced from Butler during the 1990s. Butler was later convicted in another trial involving the historic rape of an unidentified teenage victim.According to the women, Butler operated within the same community in Ruislip, where Hughes and Preston grew up and attended school together.

Sharp also lived in the area, although she did not know the other two women at the time.The women said Butler, who was significantly older than Hughes and Preston when they were teenagers, cultivated influence over vulnerable young people through parties involving alcohol and drugs at his apartment.

In 2023, the women met for the first time after Butler’s conviction in the case involving Sharp. Their decision to speak publicly later drew wider attention and became the basis for a documentary examining the long-term effects of abuse and the role of survivor solidarity.

The women’s experiences come amid broader public discussion around sexual violence and survivor testimony. In recent years, more survivors have chosen to identify themselves publicly, arguing that open discussion can challenge stigma surrounding rape cases.

Gisèle Pelicot, whose case in France drew international attention after she publicly discussed repeated drug-facilitated sexual assaults, said she hoped removing anonymity would help shift social attitudes around shame and victimhood.

Hughes, Preston and Sharp said that while Butler’s conviction represented a significant moment, the process of recovery remained difficult and uneven. All three described ongoing emotional effects linked to the abuse and the court proceedings.

“We would never allow a man to use the word ‘girls’ about us, but we use it with each other,” Hughes said. “We all have the same demon, the same monster, but we are rising together.”

The women said public exposure and revisiting traumatic experiences during legal proceedings carried emotional costs. Preston said that speaking publicly initially intensified anxiety and distress.“For about a year, I went backwards,” she said.

“I started to really suffer from anxiety.”Sharp said the psychological effects of the abuse and subsequent legal process continue to surface periodically despite the support system the women have built together.“We are not out of the woods,” Sharp said.

“I do still have wobbly moments.”Mental health specialists and victim support groups have long noted that recovery from sexual violence can involve prolonged psychological impacts, even after successful prosecutions.

Survivors may continue to experience anxiety, trauma responses and emotional distress long after court proceedings conclude.The three women said mutual support has become one of the most important factors in rebuilding confidence and stability.“I feel like I have freed my childhood self,” Hughes said.

“I can look myself in the eye now, almost as if I have become my own parent.”She added that trauma remained a permanent part of her life experience but said shared understanding among the women had changed how she copes with it.“Someone said that pain is a skin you can’t take off,” Hughes said.

“I feel that’s true with me and my trauma. But having the girls helps me cope with living in that skin and getting stronger within it.”Preston said the court proceedings and subsequent documentary project altered how she viewed herself publicly and privately.

“Everything that has happened, the court case, the documentary, it does make me hold my head up higher,” she said. “I couldn’t have done any of this by myself.

The girls give me strength.”Sharp described the friendship as an enduring emotional responsibility shared among the three women.

“I feel stronger now,” she said. “I wouldn’t do anything to upset my girls. They are part of me now.”