The data of the opinion in Germany, which claims that in the Archdiocese of Cologne, are shocking senior clergy covered up child abuse by priests. Immediate dismissal of two officials.
According to deutsche welle, the long-awaited legal opinion on child sexual abuse in the Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne. According to the head of the investigation, the well-known German criminologist Bjorn Gerke, her aim was to examine whether ecclesiastical agents exceeded their duties, covering up the relevant scandals in the period 1975-2018. The survey identified 202 perpetrators of sexual violence and 314 victims, most of them boys under the age of 14. Most of the crimes took place before 1975, but saw the light of day after 2010, when information about child sexual abuse began to increase, mainly by priests.
Concealment only for clergy
70% of the cases in the Archdiocese of Cologne concerned clergy while the rest of the cases concerned lay people. The report states that sexual acts were covered up only when the perpetrators were clergy, but not when they were lay people. Professor Gerke documents a breach of duty in at least 78 cases by eight members of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, including the two former archbishops of Cologne and the current archbishop of Hamburg, Stefan Hesse, who previously served as vicar general in Cologne. Their opinion alleges that they covered up the scandals and did not protect the victims.
The order for the opinion was given by the current Archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal Rainer Maria Volki. In a statement after the presentation of the report, he condemned the attitude of his predecessors and those involved in the concealment of the incidents. At the same time, he announced the immediate dismissal of the duties of two senior clergymen of the archdiocese who are accused in the investigation of breach of duty. This is a first step, said Cardinal Volki. The next period will consider whether measures should be taken for other people as well. He also announced that changes will be made in the organizational structure of the church that will make it impossible to cover up such phenomena.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
