The Catholic Church is reeling after the Royal Commission yesterday published staggering statistics of the numbers of victims and perpetrators of child abuse over the past 35 years.

In total, nearly 4500 people have come forward to the Commission to say they were abused as children, while more than 1900 perpetrators have been identified.

Seven per cent of Catholic priests working across Australia since the 1950s have been named as abusers—with more than 40 per cent of one religious order, St John of God Brothers, having committed offences.

The revelations are without international precedent but Australian victims groups like Broken Rites and Care Leavers Australasia Network say even these numbers are the tip of the iceberg.