20 more catholic priests accused of sexual abuse

AFP

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — A German Roman Catholic diocese said Monday that 20 of its current and former priests had been accused "in recent weeks" of sexual abuse as a scandal embroiling the Church widened.

The Trier bishopric in the west of the country said the "shocking" allegations involved crimes committed from the 1950s to 1990.

"For my part, I would like to encourage those victims who have not yet found the courage to come forward to do so," Bishop Stephan Ackermann told reporters, saying he was "stunned" by the cases that had come to light.

Ackermann said two people had already reported their cases to authorities while the Church had passed on information on an additional three to prosecutors.

Ten of the accused priests have since died, another two have retired.

Ackermann said the diocese was still conferring on how to handle three cases that fell under the criminal statute of limitations.

He said that beyond the new cases that had surfaced, three priests had been convicted of abuse in the 1990s.

Meanwhile the prosecutor's office in the central city of Fulda confirmed sexual abuse charges had been filed against a former priest who had worked in nearby Erfurt.

It said the man had been previously charged with paedophilia but declined to provide further details.

Germany's Catholic Church has been thrown into crisis in recent weeks as dozens of people have come forward alleging they were abused as minors by priests. Most cases date back several years.

Similar scandals have also erupted in the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland, while Ireland has been rocked by revelations about cover-up efforts by the head of the Church there in the 1970s.

The Vatican has said it received 3,000 reports between 2001 and 2010 of sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy committed over the past 50 years.

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COMMENTS (6)

userfullname;
10/24/2010

Loving the new design, great work. Will it always be this way?

Richie L
3/30/2010

Is it the Catholic Church that turns these people into monsters or is it that monsters are attracted to the Catholic Church?
.
Richie

Paul Lewis
3/30/2010

The Catholic organization, began as a club and transformed into a religion by virtue of its " elite " membership. Their history of conquest and subjugation is well documented. The constant revision of their theology has been based on their deification of the Pope. If you have read the Bible, and have only the basic understanding of it, then you will realize that this Organization, is contrary to it. Revalations speaks to this Beast.

george watson
3/30/2010

Anyone who thinks this is confined only to Priests in the Catholic Church doesn’t even know the half of it. I say however, that man was not made to be celibate. The Church should allow them to marry, and as the late Morris Cargill was wont to say, then we would have less wear and tear on these young alter boys.

Jay Brown
3/30/2010

The catholic church is a complete and utter disgrace and should is no longer consider to be a religious organization but more a cult.
The Catholic church supported yes supported slavery can you imagine that.
Here was a religious institution who believed it was ok to scoop up millions of black people from Africa, bring them to all parts of the world, beat them, starve them and murdered them so they could be enriched in the process.
For years the catholic priest who abused young boys where shielded by the church.
Whats next ?
This is cult like behaviour

Maxie Reid
3/30/2010

God's judgement is on false religion...babylon the great will fall within one hour, Readers please read Rev chapter 18. get out of her if you dont want to share in her sins

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20 more catholic priests accused of sexual abuse