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	Berlin Catholic School Says Teachers Sexually Abused Pupils Ethopian Review January 30, 2010 http://www.ethiopianreview.com/news/18176 Police have begun an investigation into allegations that teachers at an elite private school in Berlin sexually abused pupils during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Five former students, all male, at the Jesuit Canisius College had notified the institution’s director, Klaus Mertes, of the abuse over the past two months, he said. The two men, both Jesuit priests who no longer work at the school, had been identified by name by their accusers, who would have been aged 13-17 at the time, Mertes said. The accusations prompted him to send an open letter to 500 alumni, encouraging them to write in about their own experiences at the time. Replies from ex-students continued to arrive, he said, with the number of people claiming to have been abused reaching 20 by Friday. Coming to terms It was unsurprising that the revelations came so late, Mertes said. “Everyone who has dealt with sexual abuse cases knows very well that there’s a lot of shame and pain involved on the part of the victims,” Mertes told reporters. “And it often takes many decades until those affected are able to get their trauma under control and are willing to speak about it openly.” He said that the scandal could not have remained undetected at the time, had a number of people in responsible positions not looked the other way. Most of the cases would likely be difficult to prosecute because German law limits the statute of limitations on sexual abuse to 10 years after the victim has turned 18, Mertes said.
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