But the problem is: look at the evolution of such scandals. In most Western European countries the church is firmly out of the public space, out of schools, and out of youth care.

Child abuse (whether physical, sexual, criminal or financial) has refused to leave with the same church. Especially when it comes to youth care. And now, of course, you have a much bigger problem. It's not the church trying to hide abuse. It's the state. And the state uses police violence ... to protect themselves and their own employees.

In case you don't know, financially abusing a child is demanding payment from the child or parents for threats. And an example of criminal abuse of a child would be a teacher forcing a child to deal drugs in school, or to prostitute themselves with an adult as a pimp.

For example, in .be:

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2023/04/11/arnaud-kinderopvang/

The state has the same agency organize child care, a few aspects of schooling for toddlers, and youth protection. When I say "organize" I do mean organize: they don't do anything themselves, never see any kids, and all the actual work is done by subcontractors (with one exception called "Gemeenschapsinstellingen", which are famous for the abuse that happens there)

Not only did they fail to police those subcontractors. Several of those subcontractors killed kids. But this story is about a subcontractor that beat a toddler into a serious concussion THREE times (minimum, it is not known if they did it more). The child is damaged beyond any reasonable hope for a normal life, his brain regularly fails to control normal bodily functions. The beatings have, at minimum, resulted in 4 aneurisms. After 2 years he still has epilepsy attacks (that he didn't have before) and at least 1 year motor and cognitive retardation. Sometimes he suddenly falls down flails about and throws up.

Needless to say, child services reacted IMMEDIATELY, by sending youth protection after the parents, whom they immediately threatened them to stay silent or lose the child, and they did indeed remove the child (which didn't actually do much since doctors were positive the child couldn't survive even for hours without medical attention). After 2 years they choose to go public anyway. This is not the worst part.

The agency in charge refused to comply with requests from parliament about the child care center. They lied about those reports. How do we know? Eventually someone from in the agency (who was promptly fired) came forth with the actual document: THIS WAS THE 6TH TIME THEY HAD DONE THAT for that child care center alone. The agency had lied about this to the police, to the state, to other parents, and even internally, resulting in those parents getting sued for child abuse (and losing access to their child for a while)

Needless to say, all the state did in retaliation for this ... was replace the director. Since the director was replaced 3 children have died in state child care due to actions of their employees. (what would be called murdering a child, probably mentioning torture, if you or I did it)

The parents or the child have not received any compensation (and the damage done is absurdly large: this child, in all likelihood, will never live independently. So damage done here amounts to let's say 45 years of full-time care and medical attention, which will be millions of euros)

There have been similar scandals in .nl and .fr. The state now controls these youth organizations and is using state power, including violence by the police ... to enforce silence about state employees, direct or indirect, physically and sexually abusing children.

Needless to say, there is research indicating that abuse in schools, care facilities and youth services now constitutes the vast majority of child abuse. I guess that's what happens when you let people do this while refusing to punish them.