Examples and cover -ups: scandal shakes the church!

A large scandal shakes the Catholic Church in Germany after reports on the systematic disguise of sexualized attacks have appeared. In particular, the case of the priest Josef Ludwig Zottmann from Bavaria is discussed, who moved to Brazil, the city of Itumbiara in the late 1970s. Loud Slobodna Bosna Zottmann was already sought by the authorities in 1969 because of the sexual abuse of five students.

Although high -ranking church representatives in Germany and Brazil were informed about the criminal investigation, they refused to work with the authorities. The Eichstätt bishops' conference secretly provided Zottmann funds that were disguised as "donation for missions". The police received information that Zottmann was "warped unknown". The former police officer Peter Grimm examines the matter on behalf of the independent Commission in the Eichstätt.

bring further abuse cases

The investigation shows that the financial connections to Zottmann play a central role, since he continued to receive money after his escape. Documents show that other priests were also sent abroad with a history of abuse. For example, the Archdiocese of Bamberg helped the priest Dieter Scholz, against whom in 1963 for abuse he was determined to go to Bolivia. After five years, Scholz returned to Germany and was once again faced with allegations of abuse, with a former altar boy, Martin Berger, Scholz accused multiple abuse in the 1970s.

The Archdiocese of Bamberg admitted that she did not know why she did not inform the public prosecutor or the police. At the same time, the Bishops' Conference Trier examines similar incidents. The systematic disguise of abuse cases was supported by false identities, protective accounts and secret financial channels. The Bishop of Eichstätt, Gregor Maria Hanke, described these practices as "unacceptable" and "criminal character". The bishops conferences in Trier, Eichstätt and Bamberg ask potential victims to report.

In addition to these specific incidents, the general extent of sexual abuse is also discussed in the Catholic Church. According to Al Jazera Balkans is only publicly reported to a very small proportion of abuse cases, which indicates that the number of actual victims could be higher. Research on sexual abuse within the Orthodox churches shows similar patterns of disguise and responsible.