Serious allegations against Head of German Bishops Conference

The Archbishop of Freiburg and President of the German Bishops' Conference, Robert Zollitsch, allegedly tried to cover up a case of sexual abuse by a priest, according to a media report.

Archbishop Zollitsch was used as a model one of the shepherds in a Christmas Crib.

The ARD television magazine "Report Mainz" quoted from a letter in which Zollitsch, in his function as personnel officer, had ordered in 1995 that the affected parish in Oberharmersbach, Baden, should not be informed about essential details of the abuse scandal.

A priest there had abused children and young people for more than 20 years. The Archdiocese of Freiburg stressed in a statement on Sunday that no one in Oberharmersbach had wanted to cover up anything. "Those responsible at the time tried to limit the damage and prevent sexual abuse."

According to the report, Zollitsch had written in 1995: "Moreover, such a clarification would (...) only have the meaning of an act of revenge against an old and sick man. (...) Such a retrospective revenge would be of no use to anyone and would drive a person to ruin or even death without need."

In an interview with the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (F.A.S.)", Zollitsch described it as a mistake not to have called in the Public Prosecutor's Office at the time. "Looking at it today, it is clear to me: we should have proceeded more consistently and searched and had searched for further victims with greater vigour," said the president of the German Bishops' Conference.

The idea of refraining from involving the Public Prosecutor's Office, also to protect the victims, had been wrong. "We believed at the time that this was the best decision, which could also contribute to healing the wounds and reconciliation in Oberharmersbach. Today we know better. We have learned."

At that time, the unbelievable extent of the abuse was not known. They had not wanted to drive the priest, a broken, suicidal man, to his death. "And we were convinced that we would bring great unrest into the community of Oberharmersbach with a report - even to the point of dividing families."

Zollitsch had already admitted personal mistakes a good week ago. In his capacity as personnel officer, he should have followed up the indications with greater vigour as early as 1992. He had apologised to the victims for this.

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