- Title: GERMANY: Catholic Church in Germany moves to resolve accusations of sexual abuse
- Date: 26th February 2010
- Summary: FREIBURG, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 25, 2010) (REUTERS) (** BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ** ) HEAD OF THE GERMAN BISHOP'S CONFERENCE (DBK), ARCHBISHOP ROBERT ZOLLITSCH ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE / WALKING ONTO PODIUM AND TAKING SEAT CAMERAMEN (SOUNDBITE) (German) HEAD OF THE GERMAN BISHOP'S CONFERENCE (DBK), ARCHBISHOP ROBERT ZOLLITSCH, SAYING: "We have this case - Ettal (the monastery) has just been made known - It is very bad when the individual monasteries don't actually stick to the guidelines. And because of this we want to - and we have the position - for this reason we are going to create an office on the registry board to ensure that consultations are more effective than they have been and that there will be stricter adherence to the guidelines." JOURNALISTS LISTENING TO NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (German) HEAD OF THE GERMAN BISHOP'S CONFERENCE (DBK), ARCHBISHOP ROBERT ZOLLITSCH, SAYING: "Our Counsel always addresses the victim first, the courts have the job of addressing the perpetrator. And we really have to look at the individual cases as to how we should proceed in the case of the victims and for this we will engage the services of the professionals." CONFERENCE BEING FILMED BY CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (German) HEAD OF THE GERMAN BISHOP'S CONFERENCE (DBK), ARCHBISHOP ROBERT ZOLLITSCH, SAYING: "And by following the guidelines we have shown that we are actively addressing the problem. We are investigating all the instances that are being reported to us. That goes without saying. Even when we receive anonymous allegations we are following them up. Although one must also add that there are cases where allegations are being made that have not been substantiated." PHOTOGRAPHER ZOLLITSCH LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 13th March 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Germany
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Religion
- Reuters ID: LVA1A5OEH7G6NONC4JERUPSLTRDO
- Story Text: In the face of recent sexual abuse accusations against Catholic priests, the head of the German Catholic Church said individual religious institutions had to get their houses in order.
Speaking at the Bishop's Conference on Thursday (February 25) Archbishop Robert Zollitsch said his office had already taken the first steps towards resolving allegations from over 100 former pupils at Jesuit High Schools in Germany.
"It is very bad when the individual monasteries don't actually stick to the guidelines," Zollitsch said referring to the most recent revelations concerning Ettal - a Benedictine-run boarding school in Bavaria.
The abbot of Ettal Monastery stepped down Wednesday (February 24) after former students said they had been abused by school priests.
Zollitsch went on to announce the creation of a new office to deal with such complaints.
"For this reason we are going to create an office on the registry board to ensure that consultations are more effective than they have been and that there will be stricter adherence to the guidelines," Zollitsch said.
German prosecutors have opened investigations into the abuse parallel to the Church's own enquiries.
"Our Counsel always addresses the victim first, the courts have the job of addressing the perpetrators. And we really have to look at the individual cases as to how we should proceed in the case of the victims and for this we will engage the services of the professionals," Archbishop Zollitsch told a packed news conference.
The number of students across Germany making allegations has jumped to 150 after the scandal was brought to light with allegations concerning Berlin's Jesuit Kansas College.
"We are investigating all the instances that are being reported to us. That goes without saying. Even when we receive anonymous allegations we are following them up. Although one must also add that there are cases where allegations are being made that have not been substantiated," the Archbishop said.
German weekly, Speigel, reported cases of sexual abuse in at least seven Catholic schools and institutions.
The majority of cases date back to the 1970s and 1980s. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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