Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Europe
Encyclopedia
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.
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.
resigned from his post in 2004 after there was a scandal concerning child pornography
allegedly being downloaded by a student at the seminary. Up to 40,000 photos and an undisclosed number of films, including child pornography, were found on the computer of one of the seminarians, but Krenn earlier angered many by calling the images a "childish prank."
. A total of more than 300 complaints were made to the commission. The commission ultimately dealt with 33 formal complaints. 32 complaints were upheld by the commission, 1 was ruled false. Of these, only 1 case came before a court, because the facts of the other 31 cases were concerned with statutes of limitation. In about half of the 32 cases, the alleged abusers, clerics and religious, refused to appear before the commission, due to a lack of cooperation from the Belgian episcopate in forcing hierarchical obeyance to do so. The president and numerous commission members resigned from the commission as a result.
A second Independent Commission was established in 2009 under the presidency of psychiatrist
Peter Adriaenssens. He resigned his commission in the aftermath of the large scale police raid on 24 June 2010. Judicial police searched the archbishopric palace in Mechelen whilst the Belgian episcopal conference was officially meeting. Further searches were conducted at the archbishopric cathedral of Mechelen, the private residence of former archbishop Godfried Danneels in Mechelen and the offices of the independent commission in Leuven
. 450 internal dossiers were confiscated.
parish in Limburg
was arrested by the police on accusations of rape and sexual abuse of two 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.
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.
and Rumes
and former deacon
of Antoing
in the diocese of Tournai, was arrested in 2006 as a result of operation Falcon, an American led worldwide investigation of internet child pornography.
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 http://www.tportal.hr/vijesti/crnakronika/42459/Prvi-hrvatski-svecenik-pedofil-koji-ide-u-zatvor.html. 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'.
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.
was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the rape of minors at the paroisse de Lieurey (Eure) between 1989 and 1992.
revealed details of the mishandling of the case of a pedophile priest in the archdiocese of Munich in the early 1980s when Joseph Ratzinger (the future Pope Benedict XVI) was archbishop of Munich. In January 1980 Cardinal Ratzinger approved the transfer of Father Peter Hullermann, who had been accused of sexual abuse including forcing an 11-year old boy to perform oral sex
upon him, to Munich to undergo therapy. Despite his record, Hullermann was assigned work in the area of pastoral care where he again abused minors. In June 1986 he was convicted of sexually abusing minors, fined DM4,000 and given an 18-month suspended sentence. Hullermann continued to serve as a priest in a variety of parishes in Bavaria, Germany until he was suspended on Monday March 14, 2010. In March 2010, Fr. Gerhard Gruber, who was at the time vicar general
in Munich, assumed total responsibility for the decision to readmit Hullermann to pastoral care work, expressing regret and seeming to suggest that Cardinal Ratzinger had not been fully informed. According to sex abuse whistleblower Fr Tom Doyle, who was quoted in the New York Times, “Pope Benedict is a micromanager. He’s the old style. Anything like that would have been brought to his attention. Tell the vicar general to find a better line. What he’s trying to do, obviously, is protect the pope.”
Referring both to this case and also to reports of sex abuse cases linked to the Regensburger Domspatzen choir, directed for 30 years by the pope’s brother, Mgr Georg Ratzinger
, Vatican senior spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi
argued at the weekend that the pope had been the victim of a media witch-hunt. “There have been those who have tried, with a certain aggressive persistence, in Regensburg and Munich, to look for elements to personally involve the Holy Father in the matter of abuses . . . It is clear that these attempts have failed.”
, 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.
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. 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.
Wolfgang S., who currently lives in South America, claimed that he had informed his Jesuit superiors of his dark past in 1991.
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. The Vatican supported the apology.
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.
in May 2007 for facilitating abuse by Billy Adams. McGrath had given Adams £20,000 in 2005 and Adams had used the money to impress a 12-year-old girl who he then raped over a six-month period. McGrath denied knowing about the abuse but admitted having a brief sexual relationship with Adams. His appeal
in January 2008 was dismissed.
, Anthony O'Connell
and Oliver O'Grady
.
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.
, 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.
. 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
.
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.
, Séamus Hegarty, was Bishop of the Diocese of Raphoe
in 1982–1994, at a time when one of his priests, Father Eugene Greene, raped 26 young men.
.
Congressman Mark Foley
of molesting him as a teenager, now lives in Malta.
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).
of the parish
es of Lieshout
and of Mariahout
(municipality of Laarbeek
) quits his post after allegations of sexual abuse on 1 September 2005.
. Salesian bishop of Rotterdam van Luyn
pleaded for a thorough investigation.
SS.CC., a former Catholic Bishop of the Roman Catholic Territorial Prelature of Trondheim
in Trondheim, Norway, has admitted to sexually abusing an altar boy in the 1980s when he served as a priest there. Mueller, who retired as bishop in 2009, said there were no other victims.
In the end of April 2010 Norways catholic church reported pedophilia cases has risen to 18 cases.
was aware that several priests in his former diocese of Plock were sexually abusing minors.
to work there as a missionary, but returned to Slovenia after an Interpol
warrant was issued.
Archdiocese of Vienna
In 1995 CardinalCardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Hans Hermann Groër
Hans Hermann Groër
Hans Hermann Wilhelm Groër, OSB was an Austrian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Vienna from 1986 to 1995, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1988...
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.
Diocese of Sankt Pölten
Bishop Kurt KrennKurt Krenn
Kurt Krenn is an Austrian Roman Catholic prelate and Bishop who ran a priests seminary in Sankt Pölten, near Vienna.-Views:...
resigned from his post in 2004 after there was a scandal concerning child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
allegedly being downloaded by a student at the seminary. Up to 40,000 photos and an undisclosed number of films, including child pornography, were found on the computer of one of the seminarians, but Krenn earlier angered many by calling the images a "childish prank."
Belgium
Abuse affairs have affected several Belgian dioceses, which were hurt by allegations of abuse similar to those found in other Western countries. In response to this, an independent commission was established by the Belgian Episcopal Conference in 2000 under the presidency of Godelieve Halsberghe, a retired magistrateMagistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
. A total of more than 300 complaints were made to the commission. The commission ultimately dealt with 33 formal complaints. 32 complaints were upheld by the commission, 1 was ruled false. Of these, only 1 case came before a court, because the facts of the other 31 cases were concerned with statutes of limitation. In about half of the 32 cases, the alleged abusers, clerics and religious, refused to appear before the commission, due to a lack of cooperation from the Belgian episcopate in forcing hierarchical obeyance to do so. The president and numerous commission members resigned from the commission as a result.
A second Independent Commission was established in 2009 under the presidency of psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
Peter Adriaenssens. He resigned his commission in the aftermath of the large scale police raid on 24 June 2010. Judicial police searched the archbishopric palace in Mechelen whilst the Belgian episcopal conference was officially meeting. Further searches were conducted at the archbishopric cathedral of Mechelen, the private residence of former archbishop Godfried Danneels in Mechelen and the offices of the independent commission in Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
. 450 internal dossiers were confiscated.
Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels
- Former parish priest André Vanderlyn of Saint-GillisSaint-Gilles, BelgiumSaint-Gilles or Sint-Gillis is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.Saint-Gilles has a multicultural identity stemming from its diverse population...
parish in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
was arrested 20 June 1997 on charges of rape of a minor. He later confessed to seven rape cases between 1968 and 1997.
- On 18 December 2008, former parish priest Robert Borremans was sentenced to five years in prison for sexual abuse of an 6-year-old boy from 1994 until 2001. His sentence was uphold in the Brussels court of appeal in April 2010. As a consequence, he will be defrocked. He had previously been convicted for indecent exposure. He presided over the marriage mass of Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium and his wife Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz.
Diocese of Antwerp
- April 8, 1999, former parish priest Joris Horvath was beaten to death on the street by Wim C. After a police investigation it was revealed that Wim C. had been sexually abused by the dead priest as a child. Wim C. was shot & wounded in the shoulder by the Special Forces of the police during the incident.
- Former parish priest Bruno Vos of the Onze Lieve Vrouw ten Hemel Opgenomen Nieuwmoer-parish in KalmthoutKalmthoutKalmthout is a municipality in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises only the village of Kalmthout. On January 1, 2007 Kalmthout had a population of 17,508. The total area is...
was officially charged with rape of four minors by the Belgian judiciary. There are also allegations of possession of child pornography included in the charge. The Antwerp court of appeal sentenced him to nine years imprisonment in April 2009.
- Former Sint-Filippus-parish in SchotenSchotenSchoten is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the town of Schoten proper. On January 1, 2006 Schoten had a total population of 33,160. The total area is which gives a population density of 1,122 inhabitants per km². Schoten abuts the...
parish priest Jef Van den Ouweland was convicted in 2003 for the rape of three boys, who were abused since 1982.
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.
- 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.
- In April 2010, Bishop Roger VangheluweRoger VangheluweRoger Joseph Vangheluwe is the former Bishop of Bruges. He gained notoriety after admitting to having sexually abused two nephews over the course of a 15-year period while serving first as a priest and then as bishop, though the admission came after the statute of limitations for the crimes had...
resigned after admitting to the sexual abuse of a boy during his career as a Priest and his early years as a Bishop.
- Father Marc Vangheluwe resigned his post as deacon for the parish community of Ieper-Sint-Elooi and teacher in a school for handicapped children in May 2010 following the media backlash concerning paedophilia. He was convicted in a criminal court for the rape of a minor during the eighties, but could continue his activities as a teacher and pastoral worker.
Diocese of Ghent
- In 1881, the Brothers of our Lady of Lourdes were confronted with a first scandal. One brother was sent to jail. In the 1960s a new scandal erupted in the same institute.
- Former parish priest Leo A. of Sint-Martinus parish at BavegemBavegemBavegem is a small village in the Denderstreek in East-Flanders in Belgium, part of the municipality of Sint-Lievens-Houtem.A specific landscape is the classified and protected landscape around "de oude linde", between Bavegem, Vlierzele and Oordegem....
was convicted to 7 years imprisonment for raping minor choir boys.
Diocese of Hasselt
On 27 November 2009, parish priest Bart Aben of OverpeltOverpelt
Overpelt is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On January 1, 2006 Overpelt had a total population of 13,435. The total area is 40.85 km² which gives a population density of 329 inhabitants per km².The current mayor is Jaak Fransen....
parish in Limburg
Limburg (Belgium)
Limburg is the easternmost province of modern Flanders, which is one of the three main political and cultural sub-divisions of modern Belgium. It is located west of the river Meuse . It borders on the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Limburg and the Belgian provinces of Liège, Flemish Brabant...
was arrested by the police on accusations of rape and sexual abuse of two 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.
Diocese of Liège
On 25 September 1992, parish priest Louis Dupont of Kinkempois parish near LiègeLiège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
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.
Diocese of Namur
- On 25 October 2000, former parish priest André Louis of Ottré parish near NamurRoman Catholic Diocese of NamurThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Namur is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Belgium. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussel.-Bishops of Namur since 1802:*Claude de Bexon...
was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for the rape of 26 children over a long period of time.
- Former parish priest Gilbert Hubermont of a Greater-NamurNamur (city)Namur is a city and municipality in Wallonia, in southern Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia....
parish was convicted for sexual harassment of a 14 year old choir boy from AubangeAubangeAubange is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg....
between 1987 and 1991. The case was reopened and Hubermont was finally convicted 5 June 2007.
Diocese of Tournai
Priest Jean-François Gysels, former parish priest in BrunehautBrunehaut
Brunehaut is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Hainaut. It consists of the former municipalities of Brunehaut, Bléharies, Guignies, Hollain, Jollain-Merlin, Wez-Velvain, Lesdain, Laplaigne, Rongy and Howardries....
and Rumes
Rumes
Rumes is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 5,112 inhabitants. The total area is 23.72 km², giving a population density of 216 inhabitants per km²....
and former deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
of Antoing
Antoing
Antoing is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Hainaut. It consists of the former municipalities of Antoing, Maubray, Péronnes-lez-Antoing, Bruyelle, Calonne and Fontenoy.-History:...
in the diocese of Tournai, was arrested in 2006 as a result of operation Falcon, an American led worldwide investigation of internet child pornography.
Salesians
In 2007, a Belgian criminal court convicted Willem V.C., a laicised Salesian priest, to 4 years imprisonment for sexual delinquency with multiple adolescent minors. During the criminal investigation by the police and judiciary, previous acts of sexual delinquency were discovered that occurred during his membership of the Salesian congregation. He was expelled from this order in 2001 for these incidents.Archdiocese of Zagreb
Ivan Čuček convicted in 2000 for sexual abuse of 37 young girls, sentenced to three years in prison, but later the Croatian Supreme Court reduced the sentence 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 RabRab
Rab is an island in Croatia and a town of the same name located just off the northern Croatian coast in the Adriatic Sea.The island is long, has an area of and 9,480 inhabitants . The highest peak is Kamenjak at 408 meters...
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 http://www.tportal.hr/vijesti/crnakronika/42459/Prvi-hrvatski-svecenik-pedofil-koji-ide-u-zatvor.html. 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'.
Archdiocese of Olomouc
In 2000 Fr. Frantisek MertaFrantišek Merta
František Merta caused a scandal in the Czech Republic when, as a Catholic priest in the Olomouc Archdiocese, he was convicted in 2000 of indecent assault of 20 boys dating back to 1995.-The case:...
and Olomouc
Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
Archbishop Jan Graubner
Jan Graubner
Jan Graubner is the Roman Catholic archbishop of Olomouc, Czech Republic. On 23 June 1973, he was ordained as a priest. On 17 March 1990, he was named auxiliary bishop of Olomouc and titular bishop of Tagaria. The principal consecrator at Graubner's ordination as a bishop on 7 April 1990 was...
were charged after allegations were made by a theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
student, Václav Novák, that Merta had sexually abused altar boys
Altar Boys
Altar Boys are a Christian punk rock band from California, formed in 1982. They are Mike Stand , Jeff Crandall , Steve Pannier , Mark Robertson , and Ric Alba.-Background:...
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
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
, Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
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
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
cases, Krici Hlasem Zrady (They Are Shouting the Voice of Betrayal), was published in March 2001 by Václav Novák.
Diocese of Copenhagen
In the end of April 2010 Denmark catholic church reported pedophilia cases has risen to 17 cases.Archdiocese of Paris
- François Lefort - sentenced to eight years in prison for the rape of six SenegalSenegalSenegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
ese minors. - Pierre Dufour - sentenced to 15 years in prison for rape and sexual assault.
Diocese of Meaux
Parish priest Henri Lebras of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Meaux was sentenced to ten years for the rape of a twelve year old boy between 1995 and 1998.Diocese of Evreux
65 year old Canadian born priest Denis Vadeboncoeur of the Roman Catholic Diocese of ÉvreuxRoman Catholic Diocese of Évreux
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Évreux is a Roman Catholic Latin Rite diocese in France. The diocese comprises the department of Eure within the Region of Normandy...
was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the rape of minors at the paroisse de Lieurey (Eure) between 1989 and 1992.
Archdiocese of Besançon
- Bruno Kieffer gave to a nine year old girl a gym lesson with both of them naked, showed to his class a latex thong he was wearing, and was sentenced to one year for exhibition and sexual aggression of a fifteen year old girl.
- Jean Luc Heckner - sentenced to 16 years in jail on charges of raping seven young boys (11-14yrs) between 1992 and 1998.
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.
- On March 30, 2010 the Catholic Church set up a Sexual Abuse Hotline in Germany and received almost 2,700 calls in its first three days of operation.
Archdiocese of Munich and Freising
The German daily newspaper the Suddeutsche ZeitungSüddeutsche Zeitung
The Süddeutsche Zeitung , published in Munich, is the largest German national subscription daily newspaper.-Profile:The title literally translates as "South German Newspaper". It is read throughout Germany by 1.1 million readers daily and boasts a relatively high circulation abroad...
revealed details of the mishandling of the case of a pedophile priest in the archdiocese of Munich in the early 1980s when Joseph Ratzinger (the future Pope Benedict XVI) was archbishop of Munich. In January 1980 Cardinal Ratzinger approved the transfer of Father Peter Hullermann, who had been accused of sexual abuse including forcing an 11-year old boy to perform oral sex
Oral sex
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
upon him, to Munich to undergo therapy. Despite his record, Hullermann was assigned work in the area of pastoral care where he again abused minors. In June 1986 he was convicted of sexually abusing minors, fined DM4,000 and given an 18-month suspended sentence. Hullermann continued to serve as a priest in a variety of parishes in Bavaria, Germany until he was suspended on Monday March 14, 2010. In March 2010, Fr. Gerhard Gruber, who was at the time vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
in Munich, assumed total responsibility for the decision to readmit Hullermann to pastoral care work, expressing regret and seeming to suggest that Cardinal Ratzinger had not been fully informed. According to sex abuse whistleblower Fr Tom Doyle, who was quoted in the New York Times, “Pope Benedict is a micromanager. He’s the old style. Anything like that would have been brought to his attention. Tell the vicar general to find a better line. What he’s trying to do, obviously, is protect the pope.”
Referring both to this case and also to reports of sex abuse cases linked to the Regensburger Domspatzen choir, directed for 30 years by the pope’s brother, Mgr Georg Ratzinger
Georg Ratzinger
Georg Ratzinger, PA is a German Catholic priest and musician, known for his work as the conductor of the Regensburger Domspatzen, the cathedral choir of Regensburg, Germany. He is the elder brother of Pope Benedict XVI...
, Vatican senior spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi
Federico Lombardi
Federico Lombardi, SJ is an Italian Roman Catholic priest and the current director of the Holy See Press Office.-Early life and ordination:...
argued at the weekend that the pope had been the victim of a media witch-hunt. “There have been those who have tried, with a certain aggressive persistence, in Regensburg and Munich, to look for elements to personally involve the Holy Father in the matter of abuses . . . It is clear that these attempts have failed.”
Diocese of Regensburg
Diocesane priest Peter K, parish priest of RiekofenRiekofen
Riekofen is a municipality in the district of Regensburg in Bavaria in Germany....
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, 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.
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. 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.
Kolleg Sankt 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.Wolfgang S., who currently lives in South America, claimed that he had informed his Jesuit superiors of his dark past in 1991.
The German Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
apologized and asked the victims for forgiveness for what happened at the Canisius-Kolleg Berlin and the Kolleg St. Blasien. The Vatican supported the apology.
Diocese of Arundel and Brighton
In July 2000 the head of the Roman Catholic Church in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, 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.
Diocese of Plymouth
- William Manahan OSB, the Father Prior of a Buckfast Abbey Preparatory School was convicted of molesting boys in his school during the 1970s.
- In 2007, two former Benedictine monks from Buckfast AbbeyBuckfast AbbeyBuckfast Abbey forms part of an active Benedictine monastery at Buckfast, near Buckfastleigh, Devon, England. Dedicated to Saint Mary, it was founded in 1018 and run by the Cistercian order from 1147 until it was destroyed under the Dissolution of the Monasteries...
were sentenced for sexually abusing boys.
Archdiocese of Cardiff
- In 1998, Father John Lloyd, a parish priest and Bishop John Aloysius WardJohn Aloysius WardJohn Aloysius Ward was a Roman Catholic clergyman. He became Bishop of Menevia in 1981, and Archbishop of Cardiff in 1983...
's former press secretary, was imprisoned for sexual offences involving children.
- In October 2000, Father Joseph Jordan was imprisoned for indecent assaultIndecent assaultIndecent assault is an offence of aggravated assault in many jurisdictions. It is characterised as a sex crime.Indecent assault was an offence in England and Wales under sections 14 and 15 the Sexual Offences Act 1956...
s on boys, and for downloading child pornographyChild pornographyChild pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
from the InternetInternet pornographyInternet pornography is pornography that is distributed by means of various sectors of the Internet, primarily via websites, peer-to-peer file sharing, or Usenet newsgroups...
.
- In 2004, former priest John Kinsey OSB of Belmont Abbey, HerefordshireBelmont Abbey, HerefordshireBelmont Abbey, in Herefordshire, England is a Catholic Benedictine monastery that forms part of the English Benedictine Congregation. It stands on a small hill overlooking the city of Hereford to the east, with views across to the Black Mountains, Wales to the west...
, was sentenced at Worcester Crown Court for sexual assaults on schoolboys in the mid 1980s.
Kiltegan Fathers
Jeremiah McGrath of the Kiltegan Fathers was convicted in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
in May 2007 for facilitating abuse by Billy Adams. McGrath had given Adams £20,000 in 2005 and Adams had used the money to impress a 12-year-old girl who he then raped over a six-month period. McGrath denied knowing about the abuse but admitted having a brief sexual relationship with Adams. His appeal
Court of Criminal Appeal
The Court of Criminal Appeal is the name of existing courts of Scotland and Ireland, and an historic court in England and Wales.- Ireland :See Court of Criminal Appeal ...
in January 2008 was dismissed.
Diocese of Middlesbrough
James Carragher, principal of the former St. William's School, owned by the Diocese of Middlesbrough, was jailed for 14 years in 2004 for abusing boys in his care over a 20-year period.Ireland
Several priests who abused children in the United States were Irish Nationals, notably Patrick CollearyPatrick Colleary
Patrick Colleary is an Irish Roman Catholic priest accused of molesting a person under the age of 15 while a priest at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Tempe, Arizona....
, Anthony O'Connell
Anthony O'Connell
Anthony J. O'Connell is a Roman Catholic clergyman who was the first Bishop of Knoxville in Tennessee, followed by service as the third Bishop of Palm Beach in Florida.-Early life:...
and Oliver O'Grady
Oliver O'Grady
Oliver O'Grady is an Irish former Roman Catholic priest who raped, molested and abused many children in California from 1973 onwards. He wrote a letter of confession to parents in 1976 and a copy was given to the Bishop of Stockton at that time....
.
Diocese of Cloyne
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
John Magee (bishop)
John Magee, SPS was a Roman Catholic bishop in Ireland. He resigned his episcopal seat on 24 March 2010.-Early life:...
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
Health Service Executive
The Health Service Executive is responsible for the provision of healthcare providing health and personal social services for everyone living in Ireland, with public funds. The Executive was established by the Health Act, 2004 and came into official operation on January 1, 2005...
(HSE) found his diocese had put children at risk of harm through an "inability" to respond appropriately to abuse allegations.
Archdiocese of Dublin
Fr. Paul McGennisPaul McGennis
Paul McGennis, a priest of the Archdiocese of Dublin pleaded guilty in 1997 to two charges of sexually assaulting a girl at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dublin when he was chaplain there in 1960...
, Dublin, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. 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
Desmond Connell
Desmond Connell is a cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church. He is a former Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. He was born in Dublin....
, 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
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 FernsDiocese of Ferns
Diocese of Ferns can refer to:*The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferns*The Church of Ireland diocese of Ferns within the united Diocese of Cashel, Waterford, Lismore, Ossory, Ferns & Leighlin...
. 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
St Patrick's College, Maynooth
St Patrick's College, Maynooth is the "National Seminary for Ireland" , and a Pontifical University, located in the village of Maynooth, 15 miles from Dublin, Ireland. The college and seminary are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was officially established as the Royal College...
.
Archdiocese of Tuam
A eight-year (1999–2007) enquiry and report by Dr Elizabeth Healy and Dr Kevin McCoy into the Brothers of CharityBrothers of Charity
The Brothers of Charity are a Catholic institute of religious brothers and associate members at the service of the people most in need in the field of education and health care. The institute was founded in 1807 by Canon Peter Joseph Triest in Ghent, Belgium, who also founded three other religious...
Congregation's "Holy Family School" in Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
, 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.
Diocese of Raphoe
The current Bishop of DerryBishop of Derry
The Bishop of Derry is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Derry in Northern Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric.-History:...
, Séamus Hegarty, was Bishop of the Diocese of Raphoe
Roman Catholic Diocese of Raphoe
The Diocese of Raphoe is a Roman Catholic diocese in north-western Ireland. It is one of eight suffragan dioceses which are subject to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Armagh. The current Bishop of Raphoe is The Most Rev. Dr. Philip Boyce, D.D., O.C.D.. He was enthroned as bishop on 1 October...
in 1982–1994, at a time when one of his priests, Father Eugene Greene, raped 26 young men.
Italy
- 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.
- The Italian lawyer Sergio Cavaliere, advocat for victims, alleged in April 2010 that there has been a cover up of clerical abuse in Italy and that there had been 130 legal cases brought against priests for abuse in the previous ten years reported in the press.
- 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.
- In May 2007, the Panorama documentary episode Sex Crimes and the Vatican was allowed to run on the state-run television station only with equal time for church officials.
Diocese of Bolzano-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.Diocese of Verona
Three former students have claimed abuse and 65 former students signed statements saying that they or other students were abused by Catholic priests when attending the Antonio Provolo Institute for the Deaf, a Catholic school for deaf children in Verona, Italy. The abuse is alleged to have occurred from the 1950s to 1980s, and was reportedly conducted by 24 priests including the late bishop of VeronaVerona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
.
Archdiocese of Malta
Fr. Anthony Mercieca, who was accused by former FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
Congressman Mark Foley
Mark Foley
Mark Adam Foley is a former member of the United States House of Representatives. He served from 1995 until 2006, representing the 16th District of Florida as a member of the Republican Party....
of molesting him as a teenager, now lives in Malta.
Netherlands
The abuse scandal in the Netherlands has affected several Dutch dioceses, which were hurt by allegations of abuse similar to those found in other Western countries.Cases of sexual abuse by religious members of the Roman Catholic Church in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
can since 1995 be notified to a central church institution, called Secretariaat Rooms-Katholiek Kerkgenootschap (SRRK).
Diocese of Den Bosch
Father J. Ceelen, pastorPastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es of Lieshout
Lieshout
Lieshout is a small village in the southern Netherlands, lying about 15 kilometres northeast of Eindhoven. There are 4,300 inhabitants, and the village is famous for its beer brewery called 'Bavaria'....
and of Mariahout
Mariahout
Mariahout is a small village in the southern Netherlands, lying about 20 kilometres north of Eindhoven. It was founded in 1933, and now has a population of about 1,700. Mariahout is home to a military storage complex as well as a test track for DAF Trucks. Mariahout is the smallest village of the...
(municipality of Laarbeek
Laarbeek
Laarbeek is a municipality in the southern Netherlands. It was formed in 1997 by the former municipalities Beek en Donk, Aarle-Rixtel and Lieshout . Laarbeek is part of the city region 'Samenwerkingsverband Regio Eindhoven', centered around the city of Eindhoven...
) quits his post after allegations of sexual abuse on 1 September 2005.
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.Diocese of Rotterdam
- 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.
- From 2008 until 2010, an Irish priest named Oliver O'GradyOliver O'GradyOliver O'Grady is an Irish former Roman Catholic priest who raped, molested and abused many children in California from 1973 onwards. He wrote a letter of confession to parents in 1976 and a copy was given to the Bishop of Stockton at that time....
, sexually abused more than 20 boys and girls, at the Heilig Hartkerk of the Christus onze Verlosser-parish in Rotterdam. He used the pseudonym of Brother Francis and was recognised as the previously convicted child molester O'Grady by parishioners after seeing the Oscar-nominated television documentary Deliver Us from EvilDeliver Us from Evil (2006 film)Deliver Us from Evil is a documentary film directed by Amy J. Berg which tells the true story of Catholic priest Oliver O'Grady, who admitted to having molested and raped approximately 25 children in Northern California between the late 1970s and early 1990s...
.
Salesians
In February 2010 the Salesians were accused of sexual abuse in their juvenate Don Rua in 's-Heerenberg's-Heerenberg
s-Heerenberg is a city on the Dutch-German border, in the Province of Gelderland, Netherlands. It is located about 5 km north of the German Emmerich, and about 12 km south of Doetinchem. It received city rights in 1379....
. Salesian bishop of Rotterdam van Luyn
Ad van Luyn
Adrianus Herman van Luyn, SDB, is a Dutch Roman Catholic bishop.-Early life and ordination:Van Luyn attended the seminary of the Salesians in Ugchelen. He made his religious vows in 1954. He studied theology at the Salesian Pontifical University in Turin...
pleaded for a thorough investigation.
Territorial Prelature of Trondheim
Georg MüllerGeorg Müller (Catholic bishop)
Georg Müller, SS.CC. is the former bishop of the Roman Catholic territorial prelature of Trondheim, which encompasses central sections of Norway....
SS.CC., a former Catholic Bishop of the Roman Catholic Territorial Prelature of Trondheim
Roman Catholic Territorial Prelature of Trondheim
Trondheim, Norway is the seat of the Roman Catholic Territorial Prelature of Trondheim, which before March 1979 was the Apostolic Vicariate of Central Norway. The prelature leadership is currently vacant following the resignation of Bishop Georg Müller in 2009 and is being administered by Bernt...
in Trondheim, Norway, has admitted to sexually abusing an altar boy in the 1980s when he served as a priest there. Mueller, who retired as bishop in 2009, said there were no other victims.
In the end of April 2010 Norways catholic church reported pedophilia cases has risen to 18 cases.
Archdiocese of Poznan
In March 2002 Archbishop Juliusz Paetz quit following accusations, which he denied, of sexually molesting young priests.Diocese of Plock
In early 2007, allegations surfaced that former Archbishop Stanislaw WielgusStanislaw Wielgus
Stanisław Wojciech Wielgus is a former Roman Catholic archbishop of Warsaw. After his appointment to the position of archbishop by Pope Benedict XVI on 6 December 2006, he assumed the office in a private installation ceremony on 5 January 2007, only to resign two days later, less than an hour...
was aware that several priests in his former diocese of Plock were sexually abusing minors.
Archdiocese of Ljubljana
Franc Frantar was detained in 2006 for sexual abuse of up to 16 minors. He was later sentenced to three and a half years in prison. He initially escaped persecution by escaping to MalawiMalawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
to work there as a missionary, but returned to Slovenia after an Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
warrant was issued.
Spain
- In Christmas of 2007 the Bishop of Tenerife, Bernardo Álvarez, caused an uproar in Spain by making statements that appeared to equate child molestation with homosexuality and blamed the victims of abuse. One such statement was "There are 13 year old adolescents who are under age and who are perfectly in agreement with, and what’s more wanting it, and if you are careless they will even provoke you."
Society of Jesus
The Jesuits have also been affected by abuse affairs in several of their schools and congregations in the United States and Germany. The same abusive teacher in Germany had been guilty of similar crimes in Jesuit schools in Chile and Spain.Diocese of Stockholm
One child was sexually 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.See also
- AbuseAbuseAbuse is the improper usage or treatment for a bad purpose, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, sexual assault, violation, rape, unjust practices; wrongful practice or custom; offense; crime, or otherwise...
- Catholic sexual abuse scandal in AustraliaCatholic sexual abuse scandal in AustraliaThe Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Australia is part of the wider Catholic sexual abuse scandal which are a series of convictions, trials and ongoing investigations into allegations of sex crimes committed by Catholic priests and members of religious orders....
- Catholic sexual abuse scandal in the United StatesCatholic sexual abuse scandal in the United StatesCatholic sexual abuse scandal in the United States refers to a series of lawsuits, criminal prosecutions, and scandals related to sexual abuse committed by Catholic priests and members of religious orders, that first rose to widespread public attention in the last two decades of the 20th...
- Child abuseChild abuseChild abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
- Child sexual abuseChild sexual abuseChild sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
- Religious abuse
- Sexual abuseSexual abuseSexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
- Sexual misconductSexual misconductSexual misconduct is misconduct of a sexual nature. The term may be used to condemn an act, but in some jurisdictions it has also a legal meaning....
- Spiritual abuseSpiritual abuseSpiritual abuse is a serious form of abuse which occurs when a person in a cult-religious authority or a person with a unique spiritual practice misleads and maltreats another person in the name of a deityor church or in the mystery of any spiritual concept...
- Woodstock defence