Sexual Abuse Scandal Widens in Germany

Six more cases of abuse have surfaced against four priests and two nuns.

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - Earlier this month allegations of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Germany came to light. The report indicated that the cases were reported in the Regensburg Diocese in the Pope´s native Bavaria.

This week additional charges of child sexual abuse have been received, this time involving four priests and two nuns. One of the priests is from Regensburg, the others are from different dioceses.

Of the six cases, one has been linked to the Regensburger Cathedral Choir involving a school assistant who later became a priest. The priest was stripped of his duties last week after accusations surfaced from a former student.

All of the new allegations exceed the statutes of limitations for criminal prosecution, with one stemming from before the mid-1970s and the others in the mid-1980´s. The two nuns are both elderly and suffering from dementia.

The priests will all be suspended pending further investigation.

Spokesman for the Regensburger Diocese, Clemens Neck, indicated that the diocese would still turn over all the information to prosecutors who would then decide on any further action.

At a news conference that was called to provide updated information he said, "The work of the last 14 days has shown us that serious wrongdoing was committed by spiritual leaders and members of the church.

"We deeply regret what the spiritual leaders and church members did to these children and youths, and we ask for forgiveness on their behalf."

Neck also reported that there were two new charges of sexual abuse of a minor by a man identified as Friedrich Z., who was already convicted of abuse charges in 1958, and another one against a man they called Georg Z. who was convicted in 1969.

According to Reuters News, the German media is reporting that more than 250 allegations of physical or sexual abuse have been made regarding church-run schools in recent decades.

The first reports of a German abuse scandal came began in January with allegations that three priests at the elite Canisius Jesuit high school in Berlin had sexually abused students in the 1970s and '80s.

In February, the German magazine Der Spiegel published an article that indicated nearly 100 clerics and laypeople across the country had been suspected of abusing children and teenagers since 1995.

This report was followed by a series of allegations of sexual and physical abuse at the cathedral choir in Regensburg, the Benedictine monastery school at Ettal and a Capucian school in Burghausen.

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In an Associated Press report two weeks ago, Neck stated that when these allegations surfaced, the church began pursuing the cases with the following goals: achieve justice and help for the victims, punish the offenders and prevent future crimes.

Germany is home to approximately 25.2 million Catholics. More than three million, however, have fallen away since 1990 at the time of reunification.

The German scandal comes on the heels of the problems in Ireland which resulted in strong Vatican intervention and the resignation of bishops.

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