Jump to content

Catholic Church sexual abuse cases in Europe: Difference between revisions

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→‎Germany: Der Spiegel ref
Line 84: Line 84:


==Germany==
==Germany==
In February 2010 Der Spiegel reported that more than 94 clerics and laymen have been suspected of sexual abuse since 1995; but only 30 of those suspects had actually been prosecuted because of legal time constraints on pursuing cases.<ref> Sonia Phalnikar. Abuse allegations mount at German Catholic Church. Deutsche Welle. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5224213,00.html accessed 11 Feb 2010</ref>
===Archdiocese of Regensburg===
===Archdiocese of Regensburg===


Revision as of 09:20, 11 February 2010

Main article: Roman Catholic sex abuse cases by country

The Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Europe has affected several dioceses in European nations, although not to the same extent as it has hurt dioceses in the United States of America.

Austria

Archdiocese of Vienna

Main article: Sexual abuse scandal in Vienna archdiocese

In 1995 Cardinal Hans Hermann Groër stepped down as head of the Roman Catholic Church in Austria following accusations of sexual misconduct. In 1998 he left the country. He remained a Cardinal. [1]

Belgium

Abuse affairs has affected several Belgian dioceses, who were hurt by allegations of abuse similar to those found in other Western countries.

Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels

  • Former parish priest André Vanderlyn of Saint-Gillis parish in Brussels was arrested 20 June 1997 on charges of rape of a minor. He later confessed to seven rape cases between 1968 and 1997. [2]

Diocese of Antwerp

  • Former parish priest Bruno Vos of Nieuwmoer parish in Kalmthout was officially charged with rape of a minor by the Belgian judiciary. There are also allegations of possession of child pornography included in the charge. [3]

Diocese of Bruges

  • On 14 November 2005, former religious brother Luc D. of the Congregation of the Fratres Van Dale was sentenced by a Belgian court to 10 years imprisonment for sexual abuse of 20 mentally handicapped persons over a period of 16 years. [4]
  • On 14 November 2005, former religious brother Roger H. of the Congregation of the Fratres Van Dale was sentenced by a Belgian court to 10 years imprisonment for sexual abuse of mentally handicapped persons. [4]
  • On 18 December 2006, former parish priest Robert Borremans was sentenced to five years in prison for sexual abuse of an 11-year-old boy from 1994 until 2001. He had previously been convicted for indecent exposure. He gained public notoriety as choir leader[clarification needed] during the marriage mass of Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium and his wife Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz. [5]

Diocese of Ghent

  • Former parish priest Leo A. of Sint-Martinus parish at Bavegem was convicted to 7 years imprisonment for raping minor choir boys. [6][7]

Diocese of Hasselt

  • On 27 November 2009, parish priest Bart Aben of Overpelt parish in Limburg was arrested by the police on accusations of rape and sexual abuse of 2 children, one male and one female, in his previous parish, Bocholtz over a long period of time, from 1991 until 2008. He confessed his abuse to his bishop, Mgr. Patrick Hoogmartens and the police. [8]

Diocese of Liège

  • On 25 September 1992, parish priest Louis Dupont of Kinkempois parish near Liège was convicted to three years imprisonment and five years in case of repetition by a Belgian court for the rape of a minor girl and boy in 1990. [9][10]

Diocese of Namur

  • On 25 October 2000, former parish priest André Louis of Ottré parish near Namur was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for the rape of 26 children over a long period of time. [11][12]
  • Former parish priest Gilbert Hubermont of a Greater-Namur parish was convicted for sexual harassment of a 14 year old choir boy from Aubagne, Joël Devillet, between 1987 and 1991. The case was reopened and Hubermont was finally convicted 5 June 2007. [13][14]

Diocese of Tournai

Czech Republic

Archdiocese of Olomouc

  • In 2000 Fr. Frantisek Merta and Olomouc Archbishop Jan Graubner were charged after allegations were made by a theology student, Václav Novák, that Merta had sexually abused altar boys since 1995. Novák persuaded a group of victims to come forward with their allegations against Merta. In 2001, Merta was found guilty of sexually abusing more than 20 boys and given a suspended sentence of two years. When he was a priest in Moravia, Archbishop Jan Graubner failed to report him. Instead, Graubner moved him from location to location whenever problems appeared. A book about Merta's child sexual abuse cases, Krici Hlasem Zrady (They Are Shouting the Voice of Betrayal), was published in March 2001 by Václav Novák. [17]

Archdiocese of Rijeka

  • Drago Ljubičić - detained [18] and later sentenced (in 2007) to three years in prison for sexually abusing 5 boys (10-12yrs). [19]

Croatia

Archdiocese of Zagreb

  • Ivan Čuček convicted [20] in 2000 for sexual abuse of 37 young girls, sentenced to three years in prison, but later the Croatian Supreme Court reduced the sentence [21] to one and a half years in case he commits such crime again

Archdiocese of Rijeka

  • Drago Ljubičić convicted in 2007 was Catholic priest on island Rab sentenced to three years in prison for molesting five teenage boys. He will be first Catholic priest to serve prison time for sexual abuse in Croatia[9]. When asked by Catholic press agency Glas Koncila (prior to scandal) why children avoid going to church he blamed 'strong influence of communism on island Rab' [10].

France

Abuse affairs have also affected the Church in France.[22]

Seine et marne

  • Henri Lebras sentenced to ten years for the rape of a twelve year old boy between 1995 and 1998.[23]

Diocese of Evreux

  • 65 year old Canadian priest Denis Vadeboncoeur was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the rape of minors at the paroisse de Lieurey (Eure) between 1989 and 1992.[24]

Archdiocese of Paris

Archdiocese of Besançon

  • Bruno Kieffer gave to a nine year old girl a gym lesson with both of them naked, showed to is class a latex thong he was wearing, and was sentenced to one year for exhibition and sexual aggression of a fifteen year old girl.[28]
  • Jean Luc Heckner - sentenced to 16 years in jail on charges of raping seven young boys (11-14yrs) between 1992 and 1998.[24]

Germany

In February 2010 Der Spiegel reported that more than 94 clerics and laymen have been suspected of sexual abuse since 1995; but only 30 of those suspects had actually been prosecuted because of legal time constraints on pursuing cases.[29]

Archdiocese of Regensburg

Diocesane priest Peter K, parish priest of Riekofen, Bavaria, was convicted of sexual abuse of minors in 2003. The priest was already convicted to a jail sentence and damages for multiple abuse of a minor in 2000. [5]

Canisius-Kolleg Berlin

Main article: Canisius-Kolleg Berlin

In 2004 and 2005 two former students of the school told the headmaster of the school that they had been sexually abused by two of their former teachers. In December 2009 and January 2010 two other boys contacted the headmaster and claimed the same about the same teachers. The headmaster decided to write a letter to all former students in which he stated that he was deeply sorry for what happened. After receiving the letter several others of the former students contacted the headmaster and said that they - too - had been abused.

The names of the former students claiming to be sexually abused have been withheld from the public, but the public was told many of them were notable scientist or held political or economic positions of power. It was also revealed that some of the alumni, who had been abused decided to send their children to the Canisius-Kolleg.[30] One of the teachers has spoken out and said the allegations made against him were true, because he really had abused boys. The teachers might not be sued for what they did, because it seems that in most cases the time limit for pressing trial has passed, but the abused boys want them to apologize.[31]

Jesuit order Kolleg Sankt Blasien

Main article: Kolleg St. Blasien

In 2010, Padre Wolfgang S admitted to several acts of sexual abuse of minors during his years as a teacher in Sankt Blasius from 1982 to 1984. Prior to that he had taught in another jesuit college in Berlin (Canisius-Kolleg) where he had also molested children. The order in 2010 concedes that upon discovery, his superiors did provide help for him to emigrate to South America. Other cases of sexual abuse of minors in the jesuit order have also been reported lately and are being investigated. As of February 2010, it seems that all cases have become time-barred. [32]

Wolfgang S., who currently lives in South America, claimed that he had informed his Jesuit superiors of his dark past in 1991.[33]

The German Society of Jesus apologized and asked the victims for forgiveness for what happened at the Canisius-Kolleg Berlin and the Kolleg St. Blasien.[34] The Vatican supported the appology.[35]

Ireland

Main article: Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Ireland
See also: Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse

Several priests who abused children in the United States were Irish Nationals, notably Patrick Colleary, Anthony O'Connell and Oliver O'Grady.

Diocese of Cloyne

Main article: Sexual abuse scandal in Cloyne diocese

In 2008, the Irish Government referred two allegations of Child Sex Abuse to the National Board for Child Protection, an independent supervisory body established by the Irish bishops. Bishop John Magee had failed to implement self-regulatory procedures agreed by the bishops of Ireland in 1996. Magee apologised to the victims after a report compiled by the Health Service Executive (HSE) found his diocese had put children at risk of harm through an "inability" to respond appropriately to abuse allegations.[36]

Archdiocese of Dublin

Main article: Sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Dublin

Fr. Paul McGennis, Dublin, Ireland. He abused M Collins when as a 13-year-old she was in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in 1961. Collins was later told that McGennis had admitted abusing children. However the Cardinal Archbishop of Dublin, Desmond Connell, refused "on legal advice" to supply his file on McGennis to the Irish police. McGennis was nevertheless convicted and gaoled. Collins subsequently received an apology from Cardinal Connell.

Diocese of Ferns

Main article: Ferns Report

The Ferns Inquiry 2005 - On 22 October 2005 a government-commissioned report compiled by a former Irish Supreme Court judge delivered an indictment of the handling of clerical sex abuse in the Irish diocese of Ferns. The report revealed over 100 cases of child sex abuse in the diocese, involving a number of clergymen, including Monsignor Micheál Ledwidth, the former head of the National Catholic seminary, Maynooth College.

Archdiocese of Tuam

Main article: McCoy Report

A eight-year (1999-2007) enquiry and report by Dr Elizabeth Healy and Dr Kevin McCoy into the Brothers of Charity Congregation's "Holy Family School" in Galway, the major city of the archdiocese, and two other locations was made public in December 2007. 11 brothers and 7 other staff members were alleged to have abused 121 intellectually-disabled children in residential care in the period 1965-1998.

Italy

Italian treaty with the Holy See

It is difficult to ascertain the correct statistics for clerical sexual abuse in Italy because the Italian government has a treaty with the Vatican that guarantees areas of immunity to Vatican officials, including bishops and priests.[37]

Sex abuse cases tranfered to the Roman Curia

Prior to 2001, all cases were handled privately within Dioceses. In 2001 then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger sent a letter to all bishops ordering all sex-abuse cases be transferred to the Vatican. He imposed total secrecy on the proceedings, with the penalty of excommunication for any violations.[37]

2007 Panorama documentary

In May 2007 the Panorama Documentary Episode Sex Crimes and the Vatican was only allowed to run on the state run television station with equal time for church officials.[37]

Diocese of Brixen

An Italian priest has been condemned in an Italian court of appeal to 7.5 years in prison for sexual abuse of a 9 year old child. The abuse took place during a church organised summercamp. Damages in the amount of €700,000 are due paid. [38]

Diocese of Verona

In the Istituto Antonio Provolo 25 priests are alleged for sexual abuse of child and teenager from years '50 to 1984.[39][40]

Netherlands

The abuse scandal in the Netherlands has affected several Dutch dioceses, who were hurt by allegations of abuse similar to those found in other Western countries.

Secretariaat Rooms-Katholiek Kerkgenootschap

Cases of sexual abuse by religious members of the Roman Catholic Church in The Netherlands can since 1995 be notified to a central church institution, called Secretariaat Rooms-Katholiek Kerkgenootschap (SRRK). [41][42]

Diocese of Den Bosch

Father J. Ceelen, pastor of the parishes of Lieshout and of Mariahout (municipality of Laarbeek) quits his post after allegations of sexual abuse on 1 September 2005.[43]

Diocese of Roermond

Father H.H.M. Jansen is denounced for sexual abuse during his activities as military pastor and as a faculty member of the seminary of Rolduc. [44]

Diocese of Rotterdam

On 13 March 1993, bishop Philippe Bär quits his post as bishop of Rotterdam and Dutch military bishop after allegations of multiple homosexual abuse. [44]

On 14 May 1998 damages of ¬ 56.800 were paid by the diocese of Rotterdam to the victim of sexual abuse by a diocesan priest in order to avoid civil prosecution. [45]

Poland

Archdiocese of Poznan

In March 2002 Archbishop Juliusz Paetz quit following accusations, which he denied, of sexually molesting young priests.[46]

Diocese of Plock

In early 2007 allegations surfaced that former Archbishop Stanislaw Wielgus was aware that several priests in his former diocese of Plock were sexually abusing minors. [47]

Slovenia

Archdiocese of Ljubljana

  • Franc Frantar - detained in 2006[48] for sexual abuse of up to 16 minors. He was later sentenced[49] to three and a half years in prison. He initially escaped persecution by escaping to Malawi to work there as a missionary, but returned to Slovenia after Interpol warrant was issued.

Sweden

Diocese of Stockholm

One child was sexualy abused by a priest several years in the late 1950s. When the child raised the issue at the time, the priest was protected and the abuse was kept quiet by the church. The victim finally reported the abuse to the Stockholm diocese in December 2005. The victim demanded a public apology from the church. In June 2007 Sweden's Catholic church made a public apology in two newspapers.[50]

United Kingdom

Abuse affairs have also had an impact on several British dioceses.

Diocese of Arundel and Brighton

Main article: Sexual abuse scandal in Arundel and Brighton diocese
  • In July 2000 the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, Archbishop Cormac Murphy-O'Connor (later a cardinal), acknowledged he had made a mistake while he was Bishop of Arundel and Brighton in the 1980s by allowing a pedophile to carry on working as a priest. The priest at the center of the controversy, Father Michael Hill, was jailed in 1997 for abusing nine boys over a 20-year period.[46]

Benedictine schools

Main article: Sexual abuse scandal in the English Benedictine Congregation

Archdiocese of Cardiff

Main article: Sexual abuse scandal in Cardiff archdiocese
  • In 1998, Father John Lloyd, a parish priest and Bishop John Aloysius Ward's former press secretary, was imprisoned for sexual offences involving children.[53]

See also

References

  1. ^ BBC News | EUROPE | 'Exile' for disgraced Austrian cardinal
  2. ^ Télémoustique, n° 4281, 30 December 2009
  3. ^ Belga, 22 July 2008
  4. ^ a b België: ex-broeder veroordeeld voor seksueel misbruik [ Actualiteit | Katholiek Nederland ]
  5. ^ a b [1]
  6. ^ Dauphiné Libéré, 18 December 1996
  7. ^ Dauphiné Libéré, 13 May 1997
  8. ^ http://www.demorgen.be/dm/nl/989/Binnenland/article/detail/1034844/2009/11/27/Overpeltse-pedofiele-pastoor-nog-zeker-maand-in-cel.dhtml
  9. ^ [2] p. 9
  10. ^ [3]
  11. ^ [4]
  12. ^ Le Monde, 29 December 1997
  13. ^ Golias Magazine, n° 114, May/June 2007
  14. ^ Devillet, Joël, Violé par un prêtre, Les Editions de l'Arbre, ..., 2009 ISBN ...
  15. ^ Het Nieuwsblad, 14 July 2006
  16. ^ La Dernière Heure, 13 July 2006
  17. ^ The Prague Post Online: News
  18. ^ Croatian priest detained on pedophile charges - International Herald Tribune
  19. ^ [5]
  20. ^ Vjesnik on-line - Crna kronika
  21. ^ Kratke vijesti
  22. ^ Press Review of French pedophile scandals in the Roman-catholic Church
  23. ^ [6]
  24. ^ a b USATODAY.com - French priest gets 16 years for rapes
  25. ^ [7]
  26. ^ French priest convicted of sex abuse | National Catholic Reporter | Find Articles at BNET.com
  27. ^ Agressions sexuelles: L'abbé Dufour, un "prédateur" devant les assises - L'Express
  28. ^ [8]
  29. ^ Sonia Phalnikar. Abuse allegations mount at German Catholic Church. Deutsche Welle. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5224213,00.html accessed 11 Feb 2010
  30. ^ Die Zeit: "Canisius Kolleg - 17 Schüler berichten von sexuellem Missbrauch". 29.1.2010
  31. ^ Susanne Vieth-Enthus: "Schüler an Jesuiten-Gymnasium jahrelang missbraucht" 28. January 2010
  32. ^ http://www.swr.de/nachrichten/bw/-/id=1622/nid=1622/did=5927654/1yy24fi/index.html
  33. ^ http://www.thelocal.de/national/20100202-24969.html
  34. ^ http://www.focus.de/panorama/vermischtes/missbrauch-am-jesuiten-schulen-der-orden-entschuldigt-sich-bei-den-opfern_aid_476595.html
  35. ^ http://www.rbb-online.de/nachrichten/politik/2010_02/deutscher_jesuiten.html
  36. ^ The Irish Times: “Andrews refers Cloyne to Dublin abuse commission”, January 7, 2009
  37. ^ a b c NPR: Critics Press Italy, Church on Clergy Abuse
  38. ^ De Morgen: Buitenland - Italiaanse priester in cel voor misbruik 9-jarige (246809)
  39. ^ Pedophilia in Verona's Institute
  40. ^ Pedofilia in un importante istituto per sordi di Verona
  41. ^ SRKK: geen doofpot seksueel misbruik [ Actualiteit | Katholiek Nederland ]
  42. ^ Mondiale RK-pedofilie
  43. ^ De Katholieke Kerk en seksueel misbruik
  44. ^ a b MariaBode 13 - Mgr. Bär en zijn 'lovers'
  45. ^ Kerk kocht proces af
  46. ^ a b FACTBOX: Roman Catholic Church sex scandals in Europe, U.S. | Reuters
  47. ^ Polish archbishop, officials ignored child sex abuse, says newspaper - Catholic Online
  48. ^ [http://dnevnik.hr/bin/article.php?article_id=4739 U pritvoru sve�enik optu~en za pedofiliju - Dnevnik.hr]
  49. ^ [http://www.vest.si/2006/12/20/frantar-obsojen/ Frantar obsojen � Vest]
  50. ^ Swede child sexual abuse RickRoss July 20, 2007
  51. ^ Monk jailed for schoolboys abuse (BBC News)
  52. ^ Jail for child sex abuse teacher (BBC News)
  53. ^ Obituary Archbishop resigns after abuse criticism
  54. ^ Obituary, The Guardian, 28 March 2007
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catholic_Church_sexual_abuse_cases_in_Europe&oldid=343316524"