Criticized law firm presents abuse report for Aachen | DOMRADIO.DE

Bishop Helmut This and Vicar General Andreas Frick would then find out about the results for the first time at the same time as the media, the firm announced on Monday in Munich. The investigation of personnel files, among other things, deals with possible misconduct by diocese officials in dealing with cases of abuse from 1965 to 2019. The Archdiocese of Cologne surprisingly canceled the publication of a similar expertise by WSW at the end of October due to alleged deficiencies.

The concern of the diocese of Aachen is an independent investigation, emphasized Bishop Der. “We don’t judge ourselves.” He invited to follow the live stream with the publication. He was primarily concerned with relevant findings on structures and responsibilities “and all related information that would help us to put a stop to sexual violence in our diocese,” he emphasized. “We leave legal questions to the lawyers.”

Criticism from the former diocese leadership

Previously, former bishop Heinrich Mussinghoff (80) and the former vicar general Manfred von Holtum (76) had criticized the report. From WSW they expected unjustified blame and no fair trial, they told the “Aachener Nachrichten” (Monday). He could understand the objections of several criminal lawyers to the investigation prepared for Cologne, said von Holtum. As long as the question of professionalism has not been clarified, the report for Aachen may not be published for reasons of privacy protection. The sent minutes of the interviews with Mussinghoff and Holtum were “inadequate and very flawed,” explained the two clergymen.

Short-term cancellation of the publication in the Archdiocese of Cologne

The archbishopric had canceled the presentation of the report for Cologne planned for March 12 this year at short notice. There were concerns about legal disputes with former or active decision-makers whose names are to be mentioned in the study. It has meanwhile become known that the former head of personnel in Cologne and today’s Archbishop of Hamburg, Stefan Heße, had raised legal concerns. Therefore, the archdiocese called on two law firms specializing in press law to subject the WSW report to an “external legal” examination.

At the end of October the Archdiocese announced that it would not publish the WSW report. Other reviewers came to the conclusion that the expertise “did not meet the minimum requirements in terms of the entire methodology, structure and basic approach”. Now the Cologne criminal lawyer Björn Gercke is to present a new investigation by March 2021.

Coming to terms with the past

Mussinghoff and von Holtum assured that the diocese leadership at the time had done what was necessary and possible for those affected. However, if it turns out “that we, as those responsible at the time, did not take our responsibility adequately according to today’s knowledge, we have to face it,” says von Holtum.

The old bishop admitted that he felt overwhelmed, especially with victim discussions. “I would not have dared to speak properly to them. I would not advise a bishop.” In 2011, a commission of experts was set up, including psycho and trauma therapists.

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