New Scandal At The Vatican

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

A new scandal at the Vatican has come to light. Between 1945 and the 1990s, it was reported that at least 547 children in the Regensburg Cathedral choir were victims of sexual and physical abuse at the hands of priests and teachers, according to the final report presented by lawyer Ulrich Weber, who was in charge of the investigation by the Catholic Church itself, as reported by the Reuters agency.

However, the case is even more relevant because one of those involved is Georg Ratzinger, the older brother of the retired Pope Benedict XVI, who was director of the choir known in Germany under the name Regensburg Domspatzen from 1964 to 1994, time during the which most of the abuses against the infants were committed.

Although this case began to spread in 2010, it is until now that the results of the investigations are revealed; where, according to Weber's documents, 500 minors were given extremely aggressive treatment; while 47 more children suffered sexual assaults, including rapes.

Furthermore, the church itself maintained a "culture of silence" for more than six decades, which allowed these vexations to continue. Although Weber mentioned that the choir director should know the situation, he has always denied having had any knowledge of these events.

"If I had known about the excesses of violence that were being carried out, I would have done something," said Georg Ratzinger in a 2010 interview, in which he also asked the victims for forgiveness.

"At first, I also slapped, but I always had a bad conscience," he acknowledged.

It is mentioned that there will be an economic compensation for the victims, which must be set by the competent authorities.