GERMANY: Germany sets up panel to investigate sexual abuse of children in Catholic institutions

Record ID: 334605

  • Title: GERMANY: Germany sets up panel to investigate sexual abuse of children in Catholic institutions
  • Date: 25th March 2010
  • Summary: GERMANY (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (FILE) (REUTERS) ***CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** GERMAN GOVERNMENT-APPOINTED ENVOY TO INVESTIGATE SEXUAL ABUSE CASES, FORMER FAMILY MINISTER CHRISTINE BERGMANN AT EVENT
  • Embargoed: 9th April 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVAD8AE7R1YUZ8KK91AUDRQHPKKX
  • Story Text: The German government sets up a panel to investigate cases of abuse of children in Catholic, Protestant and secular schools as a victim criticises the "round table" does not include those "who know what it is all about."
    An envoy investigating cases of abuse of children in Catholic, Protestant and secular schools was appointed by the government of Germany on Wednesday (March 24) as an Irish Catholic bishop who was personal secretary to three popes became the latest and biggest casualty in the child sexual abuse scandal convulsing the Church in Europe.
    Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet installed 70-year-old Christine Bergmann, a former family minister, as "independent envoy" to investigate the cases.
    More than 250 people were abused at Church-run schools in past decades, according to German media reports.
    "We are talking about crimes here which left deep scars in the souls of young people," Education Minister Annette Schavan said.
    "We are talking about perpetrators who abused their positions of closeness, trust and dependancy in a repulsive way. We created this panel and the envoy's position in a manner which makes clear that above all, this is about the victims now," Schavan added.
    One such victim is 51-year-old Bernhard Rasche who went to Catholic boarding school "Lebenhan" in Bavaria when he was 11.
    "The abuse that took place at the boarding school was emotional, physical and sexual abuse whereas I especially experienced sexual abuse," Rasche said, visibly shaken 40 years later.
    He told how "the priest really abused children, sometimes every night, in the dormitory."
    Rasche, who became a theologian said in a recent newspaper interview that after several failed relationships and a serious depression, he reported the priest to Wuerzburg diocese.
    The accused priest admitted to abusing 16 students and he was removed from his post but was allowed to remain in the religious order.
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