By Tristan Simoneau
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe
BRUSSELS, Belgium – As part of a government probe into allegations of child abuse by priests, Belgian police questioned Cardinal Godfried Danneels for about ten hours on Tuesday over whether he knew of sexual abuse in the church and failed to stop it. Several men and boys have alleged that they had told Danneels about the abuse of children by Roman Catholic priests but that their complaints had fallen on deaf ears. Danneels, a 77 year old cardinal, led the Catholic Church in Belgium until his retirement last year. The Agence France Presse reported that a retired priest has accused him of sheltering abusive priests during his tenure from 1979 to 2009.
According to a spokesman for the Belgian prosecutor’s office, the cardinal was “named in at least 50 files as being aware of the abuse cases.” Danneels has not responded to the accusations in public and has yet to be charged with any crime. During police questioning, the cardinal was confronted by Dr. Peter Adriaenssens, a psychiatrist who formerly headed a commission probing hundreds of reported cases of clerical child abuse. Dr. Adrianenssens stated that Cardinal Danneels is in a state of shock and “is surprised that such serious facts are being linked to him.”
The church commission monitoring complaints of sexual abuse was disbanded last week after police seized all of its files and the computer of its chairman, Peter Adriaenssens. It was also reported that Belgian authorities drilled into the tomb of a former Belgian Cardinal and inserted tiny cameras to find out if any files had been hidden there. Lawyers for Cardinal Danneels have questioned the legality of the raid. These raids comes in the aftermath of another recent blemish on the Belgian Catholic Church following the resignation of Bishop Roger Vanheluwe earlier this year after he admitted to the sexual abuse of a boy.
The Belgian Prosecutor’s Office is currently investigating death threats against witnesses involved in the clergy child abuse cases. Jean Marc Meillure, a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office, stated that threats had been made against people who gave authorities information or made a complaint.
This case mirrors similar sexual abuse allegations faced by the Catholic Church in Germany, Belgium, Ireland, Austria, the Netherlands and the United States.
For more information please see:
CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY – Cardinal Danneels interviewed by Belgian authorities in sex abuse investigation – 7 July 2010
REUTERS – Belgian ex-archbishop questioned over abuse cases – 6 July 2010
CNN – Belgian cardinal quizzed for 10 hours over abuse allegations – 6 July 2010
BBC – Belgian child sex abuse police probe death threats – 4 July 2010
