Economic Effects of ACEs

  • Francis
  • February 28, 2026
  • Source language: English

During our two-and-a-half-hour meeting with Pope Leo XIV on November 8 at the Vatican, we raised the economic cost of child sexual abuse for victims and society. Unfortunately, the Holy Father showed little willingness to engage on this issue. Below is the executive summary we provided to him.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Calculation of the economic damage for victims of serious sexual abuse

Recognition must be followed by repair. Child sexual abuse causes lifelong harm. Given His Holiness’ mathematical background, I trust he will value a quantitative approach. This analysis, prepared with Prof. Lieven Annemans, applies proven health- economic methods currently in use by the Belgian government.

The analysis draws on research on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), early-life traumas that cause permanent harm. Child sexual abuse is among the most destructive, resulting in lifelong effects including depression, PTSD, addiction, chronic illness, isolation and a sharply increased risk of suicide.

Health-economics measures loss of health in Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs). One QALY equals one year in perfect health, valued in Belgium at 40,000 euros. A chronic condition such as PTSD causes a lasting reduction in QALYs and can therefore be quantified in monetary terms.

Individual Cost Examples

  • Suicide at young age: q = 0.0, t = 50, Q = 40,000 euros leads to 2,000,000 euros in lost QALYs
  • Chronic PTSD: q = 0.49, t = 35, Q = 40,000 euros leads to 686,000 euros in lost QALYs.

Society Cost Examples

  • Healthcare burden: approximately 367,000 euros in lifetime medical costs, versus 69,000 euros paid by the victim.
  • Church proposal: Out-of-pocket care: 3,000 euros proposed by the Bishops implies at least 6,000 euros in actual cost to society

Belgium is a secular state. Parliament has recommended this method of calculation to the government, and since it already guides national health policy, we ask that it now be applied to the Church. We call for repayment not only of individual costs, but of the full socio-economic damage caused by these ACEs. Fair reparations amount to several million euros per victim.

I therefore urge the Holy See to prepare its finances accordingly. The vast artistic and material patrimony of the Vatican shows that such compensation is feasible. It is the right thing to do. For the victims. And for society.