In
an 800-page report into the handling of abuse cases in the
archdiocese of Cologne between 1975 and 2018, criminal lawyer
Bjoern Gercke said he had found more than 200 abusers and more
than 300 victims in files.
His report named the Archbishop of Hamburg Stefan Hesse and
Joachim Meisner, who died in 2017 and was Woelki's predecessor
as archbishop of Cologne, as having breached their duty to clear
up abuse cases.
Hesse did not immediately comment on the report's findings.
"There were years of chaos, a perceived lack of competence and
misunderstanding," said Kerstin Stirner, one of Gercke's legal
team.
Archbishop Rainer Maria Woelki commissioned the Gercke report
after refusing to allow the publication of the findings of a
first investigation which he said was flawed and not legally
sound.
In an initial move, Woelki suspended two church officials, the
diocese said. They were named as Auxiliary Bishop Dominikus
Schwaderlapp and church official Guenter Assenmacher.
Neither commented immediately on the decision.
Critics had accused Woelki of being reluctant to conduct a full
investigation and his actions have caused anger among victim
groups.
Woelki said he would read the report and send it to Rome. He
will hold a news conference next week on personnel consequences.
"This is a first step," he told reporters. "To uncover what
happened and what is happening, to clear up any cover-up and to
name those responsible."
Several German bishops have warned that the events in Cologne
were damaging the Catholic Church in Germany, and the Church
worldwide has for years struggled to deal with allegations of
child abuse.
Cologne, with its landmark Gothic Cathedral, has the largest
membership of any diocese in the German-speaking world but for
months it has been difficult to get an appointment to leave the
church.
(Reporting by Madeline Chambers, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
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