Belgian police in hot pursuit of Church child sex ‘cover-up’
Belgian magistrates have re-launched a high-profile probe into child sex abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, this time seeking to show the Church hierarchy engaged in a cover-up.
Federal police pounced yesterday on “personal files” held by senior Church figures in the dioceses of Liege, Namur and Tournai after hitting Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Hasselt and Mechelen since Monday.
The seizures are based on testimony from some 200 alleged victims and in 87 judicial complaints.
Federal magistrate and spokesman for national prosecutors Lieve Pellens said the purpose of this new “key phase” in a Belgian investigation is different from that of dramatic June 2010 raids on Church headquarters that angered Pope Benedict XVI.
Truckloads of evidence gathered then has been ruled inadmissible by Belgian courts following Church challenges over police methods, but now magistrate Wim De Troy is focusing on a search for proof of “culpable negligence” by the ecclesiastical hierarchy.
After similar scandals in the United States, Ireland and Germany, Belgium was rocked in April 2010 with revelations that the then bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, had abused a nephew for 13 years.
Forced to resign over the scandal, he was subsequently placed in seclusion in a French abbey but vanished from view last year after rendering the Vatican “stupefied” when he went on television to announce he had also abused a second family member.
According to Dutch-language daily De Standaard, magistrates are focused on Mr Vangheluwe’s case.
He cannot be charged with abuse because the acts he has admitted to carrying out on his nephews go too far back under Belgian prosecution law.
However, the newspaper has reported that until recently Mr Vangheluwe protected priests in his diocese from similar allegations, sending money to one victim and threatening “consequences” if the pay-off came out. In this instance, it was a question of a female allegedly abused from the age of 16.
Mr Vangheluwe’s case opened a floodgate, with a Church-backed report more than a year ago revealing almost 500 cases of alleged abuse of boys, girls and adults in Catholic institutions since the 1950s, including 13 known suicides by victims.
The Belgian Roman Catholic Church sought to turn the page last week by saying new confidential channels for victims would result in all cases of sexual abuse being transferred systematically to judicial authorities.
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Diego Csaba
Jan 19th, 11:26
:-) Is anyone really surprised? Thats why I'm an atheist :-)
Henry Samut
Jan 19th, 09:46
If this comment is correct: '...with a Church-backed report more than a year ago revealing almost 500 cases of alleged abuse of boys, girls and adults in Catholic institutions since the 1950s, including 13 known suicides by victims.'
Catholic institutions should be banned by the EU!
Louise Vella
Jan 19th, 09:43
II
Truth is the Catholic Church in Malta also hides serious allegations of child abuse from the authorities. Canon 489 of the Catholic Church is very clear that every diocese must maintain “ a secret archive which is kept locked and has in it secret documents”. “... these documents are to be 'protected most securely' and contain, 'matters of morals' and 'criminal cases' ” . Canon 487 states that only the bishop is allowed to possess the key and the archive is only to be opened in a case of 'true necessity'.
The full ugly truth about sexual abuse of children by Maltese priests must be known. One sure way for the police to get to the bottom of this matter is by gaining access to the records concealed in the curia’s secret archives (ideally before the incriminating material is shredded or destroyed!). The Maltese police authorities should carefully peruse these records to ascertain how the church has been dealing with pervert priests who sexually abused children. Why do the local church authorities persist in hiding behind the convenient pretext of confidentiality to prevent justice from taking its course? Other mortals would have to face very serious consequences if they are found guilty of withholding such crucial evidence. Why is the local Church exempt from such niceties? Is it because of our unique marriage of convenience between Church and State?
Louise Vella
Jan 19th, 09:43
I
The culture of cover-up has been embedded in the Catholic Church for decades if not centuries. Keeping the allegation of abuse from going public seems to be the overriding factor rather than either justice or prevention. It will never be effectively contested without full public scrutiny. A comprehensive public inquiry, with powers of access to documents in the diocese's secret archive should be ordered in all Catholic dioceses worldwide.
The Catholic scandal of sexual abuse by priests has been called a "conspiracy of silence." Too many people knew what was going on, but no one wanted to speak out. No one chose to contact law enforcement, and so the nightmarish crimes were allowed to continue.
Slowly but surely the wicked secrets of priest child rapists and those who protected them are being exposed. The Catholic clergy sex abuse scandal won't be over until the bishops, who endanger innocent children by recycling predators, are prosecuted for their cover-up.