Catholic Church in Germany drops sex abuse inquiry

[Eugene]

Source: BBC

9 January 2013 Last updated at 12:16 GMT

Catholic Church in Germany drops sex abuse inquiry

The Roman Catholic Church in Germany has terminated an independent inquiry it commissioned into sexual abuse by clergy, citing a breakdown in trust.

It said that bishops' trust in Prof Christian Pfeiffer, head of the Lower Saxony Criminological Research Institute, had been "destroyed".

Prof Pfeiffer accused the Church of obstructing his team's work by seeking to control the investigation.

The Church said a new inquiry would be commissioned with a different partner.

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Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20957406

[rug]

1. Anybody know German?

http://www.kfn.de/Research_areas_and_projects/Victimisation/Sexueller_Missbrauch_durch_kath_Geistliche.htm?lang=en

[DryRain]

4. Sure

The sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests, deacons and members of religious orders in the male section of the German Bishops' Conference

excerpt:
....

The main objectives of the research project can be summarized as follows:


The investigation is robust provide figures for sexual abuse by priests, deacons and members of religious orders male - and this on the one hand with regard to the longitudinal development since 1945 and also as a cross-sectional analysis on the current situation of the years since the turn of the millennium.
Furthermore, it is about the development and progress of the abuse happening from the perspective of the victims to understand and clarify the consequences that triggered the action with them.
A central concern is also the actions of the perpetrators, to analyze and to understand the significance of the factors that have encouraged their actions.
In addition, the study aims to clarify how the Catholic Church has acted against perpetrators and victims.
The ultimate goal is, based on the test results the previous concept of prevention, to check the church and if necessary
to develop additional proposals.

http://www.kfn.de/Research_areas_and_projects/Victimisation/Sexueller_Missbrauch_durch_kath_Geistliche.htm?lang=en

[DryRain]

6. One more pertinent paragraph translation in the introduction

To investigate the above questions a longitudinal section and cross section analysis of the personnel files of priests is made and those cases in which there are indications within the meaning of the research objective collected using a standardized schema file analysis is evaluated. The detection of the longitudinal development is based on the personal files of nine selected dioceses and refers to priests and deacons who are active since 1945 in each diocese. In the cross-sectional analysis, the personnel records from the years 2000 to 2010, the remaining 18 dioceses are investigated. Moreover, by conducting a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews with victims victims and perpetrators, (we) evaluate a consistent overall picture of the abuse of minors by Catholic created clerics within Germany

[rug]

7. Thanks for the translation.

This is very close to the John Jay College report in the U.S. two years ago.

http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/child-and-youth-protection/upload/The-Causes-and-Context-of-Sexual-Abuse-of-Minors-by-Catholic-Priests-in-the-United-States-1950-2010.pdf

[trotsky]

2. Indefensible behavior by the RCC.

Unbelievable that some people still choose to give money to help prop up that rotten cadre of old men.

[cleanhippie]

3. Really? The church tried to control the investigation? Why would they do that?

[cbayer]

5. Wow. That's bad. Guess they will be looking for someone they can *trust*.

[jamtoday]

8. An interesting page

covering many of the issues raised in a broader manner. Magazine style but some very interesting pieces in it. It's run by a man with 18 yrs as a Benedictine and a trained counselor as well as contributions from a couple of canon lawyers.

http://www.richardsipe.com/

[dimbear]

9. Alternate link to the same story just in case :

http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/gesellschaft/aufarbeitung-von-missbrauch-justizministerium-verlangt-aufklaerung-a-876558.html

It makes the engaging point that Pfeiffer intends to continue private inquiry with or without the cooperation of the church, for which I say, bravo. He appeals that witnesses come forward.