High ranking cleric condemned by ecclesiastical court

Nachrichten - Bamberg: Kirchengericht verurteilt früheren Personalchef | domradio.de - Katholische Nachrichten

Bamberg: Ecclesiatical court sentenced former human resources manager
Ending with a guilty verdict after more than three years, a canonical trial against a former Bamberger canon accused sexual abuse. The 67-year-old was forced into retirement as punishment and cannot use the title of honorary canon, the Archdiocese of Bamberg announced on Monday. The condemned man is so far the highest-ranking German clergyman to be found guilty of sexual abuse. The trial had taken place in the court of the Archbishopric of Munich-Freising on behalf of the Roman Congregation for the Clergy.

The ecclesiastical court was told the priest committed, while working at the Archbishop's minor seminary Ottonianum in Bamberg between 1978 to 1984, sexual assault of minors in six "more of less serious cases." After the final judgment was passed the leadership of Bamberg Diocese said that the priests would have no further pastoral functions in which he made appearances in public."

Archbishop Ludwig Schick apologized again in a letter to the victims. The allegations were made public in the summer of 2008, after which the archdiocese suspended the former head of personnel from all pastoral duties. The public prosecutors office stopped its investigation in January 2009 due to statute of limitations. Thereafter the Archdiocese brought canonical proceedings. The case was controversial as among the subordinates of the hiring manager were former pupils of the Ottonianum who made accusations. The priest then claimed memory lapses.

Comments