In the 1990s and 2000s, the cases of sexual abuse by Catholic priests gained worldwide attention, with thousands of accused priests and tens of thousands of alleged victims. The church estimated that over the 50 years ending in 2009, between 1.5% and 5% of Catholic priests had a sexual encounter with a minor, and Thomas Plante estimated a figure of 4%.
During the 1990s and 2000s, numerous cases of child abuse by Catholic priests received widespread media attention, involving thousands of accused clergy members and tens of thousands of alleged victims. The church reported that between 1.5% and 5% of Catholic priests had a sexual encounter with a minor over a 50-year period ending in 2009, according to Thomas Plante's estimate.