There are over 250 priests in the archdiocese of Freiburg in Breisgau possible perpetrators of sexual violence, while their victims would be over 540. This is what the ecclesiastical administration itself communicates in the report on internal abuse.
In the Archdiocese of Freiburg in the southwestern German state of Baden-Wurtemberg, more people have been affected by sexual violence by clergy than was previously officially known.
It is now assumed that there are more than 540 victims, said the chairman of a reappraisal commission, Magnus Striet on Tuesday during a live press conference in Freiburg. In addition, there are more than 250 accused clerics, according to the study. Striet, however, said the numbers must be viewed with great caution, as reported cases are probably considerably larger.
Striet’s comments came at the presentation of the report on sexual abuse in the Freiburg archdiocese. Spread over 600 pages, the investigation analyzes on the basis of more than 20 cases how church officials dealt with victims and perpetrators, and which structures favored abuse.
The investigative commission with four external experts from the judiciary and criminal investigation department has been working since 2019, it evaluated about 1,000 protocols of the archdiocese and conducted a total of more than 400 interviews.
“Indications of cover-ups”
The investigation focuses primarily on the late Archbishop Oskar Saier and the still-living Archbishop Emeritus Robert Zollitsch, who was also the president of the German Bishops’ Conference from 2008 to 2014.
In the case of both, there are indications of cover-ups, according to the investigation. For example, pastors were immediately given leave of absence or suddenly gave up parishes. Reasons for these personnel changes were presumably deliberately not recorded.
In addition, Eugen Endress, a member of the investigative commission, spoke at the press conference of an “anticipated cover-up.” The archbishop had completely refused to cooperate with law enforcement agencies. There had been “consensual cooperation” between the personnel officer and the archbishop in dealing with the documentation.
During his own term as archbishop from 2003 to 2013, Zollitsch had completely ignored canon law in connection with abuse cases, Endress added.
Senior German priest resigns over handling of abuse claims
A senior Roman Catholic priest in Germany has been removed from office after criticism of his handling of abuse allegations against a seminary director in the Diocese of Limburg, the German Catholic Church said Tuesday.
Vicar General Wolfgang Roesch had asked Limburg’s bishop to relieve him of his duties following the publication of a report about the case of the Rev. Christof May. The priest and seminary head was found dead in June 2022 after being questioned as part of a probe into allegations of inappropriate behavior.
The Limburg Diocese said Bishop Georg Baetzing approved Roesch’s request with immediate effect.
In a statement, the diocese quoted Roesch as saying that he became aware in 2015 of allegations that May had acted inappropriately with adults. Roesch said he met with May and one of the accusers, describing the move as “a mistake.”
He also concluded that the allegations were untrue and failed to inform Baetzing of them before the bishop appointed May to head the seminary.
Source: AA, AP