Freiburg (dpa) – In the Archdiocese of Freiburg, more people are affected by sexual abuse by clergy than previously officially known. It is now assumed that more than 540 people will be affected, said the chairman of the investigation commission, Magnus Striet, on Tuesday in Freiburg. There are also over 250 accused clerics. The reason for Striet’s statements was the submission of the report on sexual abuse in the Archdiocese.
Research on the basis of personal files after sexual abuse had brought shocking things to light earlier: According to earlier figures, 190 suspects were discovered from the beginning of 1946 to the end of 2015, most of them priests, and at least 442 victims.
The report by an independent working group aims to show how cover-up and abuse were possible in the archdiocese. 24 cases of abuse are presented as examples. The so-called AG file analysis with four external experts from the judiciary and criminal police has been working since 2019.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:230418-99-355882/2
