By Christina Berger
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

BRUSSELS, Belgium – A court in Belgium ruled on Thursday that the raids police conducted in June of Catholic church buildings in Belgium were illegal.  The appeals court deciding the matter found that the high-profile police raids on church headquarters and other church property were disproportionate.  As a result, the seized documents, which included over 500 files and a computer detailing over 300 cases of alleged sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy, were unavailable for prosecutors to use in an investigation spanning several of years.

According to the AFP, the Archbishop of Belgium Cardinal Andre-Joseph Leonard, said in response to the court ruling that it is “in everyone’s interests that the fundamental rules of law are respected.”  He also said that he is “satisfied that clarity has finally been shone on this affair.”  At the time of the raids, the Pope described the raids as “deplorable”.

The seized files were the result of investigations conducted by an internal commission set up by the church. After the raids, members of the commission resigned, but a report of their findings up to that point was released on Friday.

The 200-page report details how serious sexual abuse of children by priests existed in almost every diocese in Belgium.  The allegations of abuse spanned five decades, and involved 327 males and 161 females.  The youngest case involved a two-year-old boy.  13 suicides and 6 attempted suicides have been linked to the abuse.

Most of the abuse detailed in the report occurred in the 1960s and 1970s.  Anything over 10 years cannot be investigated by Belgian authorities.

“The exposed cases are old, of course,” said Peter Adriaenssens, head of the commission and child psychiatrist.  “Society has developed. But there’s nothing to indicate that the number of pedophiles has diminished.  Where are they today?”

For more information, please see:

AFP – Belgian court bins church paedophile raids evidence – 10 September 2010

BBC – Belgium church abuse detailed by Adriaenssens report – 10 September 2010

CNN – Catholic Church in Belgium details widespread sexual abuse – 10 September 2010

NEW YORK TIMES – Pervasive Abuse Found in Belgian Catholic Church – 10 September 2010

NEW YORK TIMES – Priest Sex ABuse Linked to 13 Suicides in Belgium – 10 September 2010

BBC – Belgian church abuse raids ruled illegal – 9 September 2010