"Before any other consideration, my testimony as a faithful practicing Catholic speaks volumes, my honest and respectful life with civil and religious institutions, and my moral integrity in exercising a role that has always been unquestionably on the side of children." This is what the Regional Guarantor for Children and Adolescents, Carla Puligheddu , said in a statement released by the bishops of Sardinia expressing "dismay and regret" over some of Puligheddu's statements regarding the alleged abuse of minors by members of the clergy.
The Guarantor had spoken to the regional council about 37 confirmed cases between 2020 and 2025, stating (citing data from a report by the Permanent Observatory on Abuse) that proceedings had only been initiated for two incidents.
In this regard, the bishops expressed dismay "not for the gravity of the issue, which concerns society as a whole, and which sees the Church - in Sardinia, in Italy and throughout the world - countering the phenomenon through awareness-raising and training, but for the superficiality and casualness with which the Guarantor itself has presented numbers and data with no real foundation , as well as for the gratuitousness of references and accusations of criminal relevance that the bishops reject with determination and indignation."
For the Sardinian Episcopal Conference, this is "unfounded news" and "it is surprising that it is being presented publicly, exposing an institution of the Regional Council to a communication without any credible data."
