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Munich law firm Westpfahl Spilker Wastl (WSW) was asked to
investigate allegations of sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of
Munich and Freising between 1945 and 2019.
The report, commissioned by the archdiocese, said there were at
least 497 victims of abuse, mainly young males. Many other cases
had probably not been reported, said the lawyers.
A spokesman for the former pope did not immediately respond to a
request for comment. Benedict, now aged 94, has been living in
the Vatican since resigning as pontiff in 2013.
In a statement that did not mention the former pope, the Vatican
said it would evaluate the full report and examine its details.
"In reiterating a sense of shame and remorse for the abuse of
minors by clergy, the Holy See assures its closeness to all
victims and confirms the path it has taken to protect the little
ones and guarantee them a safe environment," spokesman Matteo
Bruni said.
The WSW lawyers were tasked with finding out who knew what
happened in the archdiocese and any action they took. Attention
has focused on Joseph Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI, who
was Archbishop of Munich and Freising between 1977 and 1982.
Presenting the report for WSW, lawyer Martin Pusch said
Ratzinger had done nothing against the abuse in four cases.
"In a total of four cases, we reached a consensus that there was
a failure to act," said Pusch, adding the former pope had
"strictly" denied responsibility in response to the accusations.
(Reporting by Madeline Chambers; additional reporting by Phillip
Pullella in Rome; Editing by Jon Boyle)
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