The Vatican were right to be angry!

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RationalAtheist

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#1 RationalAtheist
Member since 2007 • 4428 Posts

I nearly posted this story here a few months ago, about a raid on the headquarters of the Catholic church in Belgium. Apparently, Bishops were siezed and prevented from leaving or communicating with their staff. There was uproar from the Vatican, with the Belgian ambassador being called in to be told off.

bad beglian bishop

Somehow, the evidence gathered in the raid - including an internal enquiry into abuse - can't be used in prosecutions since the raid was deemed illegal. This story has the evidence disclosed form the Catholic Church's own enquiry, after the raid finding it was deemed illegal:

"Harrowing details of some 300 cases of alleged sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clergy in Belgium have been released by a Church investigator.

Peter Adriaenssens said cases of abuse, mostly involving minors, had been found in nearly every diocese, and 13 alleged victims had committed suicide.

Two-thirds of victims were boys but 100 girls also suffered, he said.

Belgian media have accused the Church of seeking to hide abuse despite prosecutions of abusers.

While the commission he headed had found no indication that the Church had systematically sought to cover up cases, Mr Adriaenssens said its findings were a "body blow" to the Church in Belgium.

The child psychiatrist, who has worked with trauma victims for 23 years, said nothing had prepared him for the stories of abuse, which multiplied as former abusers gave testimony.

"We saw how priests, called up by the commission and asked to help seek the truth, were willing to set up the list of 10, 15, 20 victims they abused during boarding school while the commission knew only of one," he said.

Many alleged victims came forward to testify to the commission after the Bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, resigned this year, admitting to having sexually abused a boy before and after becoming a bishop. ..."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11260290