January 05, 2010
Catholic Church in Germany Accused of Disregarding Complaints of Priest's Child Abuse
The Catholic Church in Germany has been accused of ignoring abuse complaints against a priest who reportedly shared beds, saunas and showers with boys and young men. South African public prosecutors will decide later this month whether to press charges against Rev. Georg Kerkhoff arising from complaints in Johannesburg, where until recently he worked as priest to the city’s 3,500-strong German community. Parallel to the South African investigation, a German abuse victim-support group has plans to sue the diocese of Aachen for allowing Fr Kerkhoff continued contact with children despite complaints going back more than a decade. “Independent of the sexual abuse claims, bishops should have seen that he likes boys and recognised his manipulative actions in parishes,” said Johannes Heibel, head of Germany’s Initiative Against Child Abuse. Since the organisation’s founding in 1993, Mr Heibel says approximately 40 priests have been convicted on child abuse charges in Germany – but says the real level of abuse is much higher.Click Here For The Full Story......