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	German Clerical Abuse Crisis Widens By Derek Scally Irish Times February 23, 2010 http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/0223/1224265034309.html GERMANY -- THE HEAD of the German Bishops' Conference has apologised to victims of clerical abuse and promised a review of internal reporting regulations. As Germany's abuse scandal continues to widen, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch echoed Pope Benedict in condemning child abuse as "a heinous crime". "I apologise to all who were victims of such abuse," said Archbishop Zollitsch at the start of a four-day meeting of bishops in Freiburg. "Trust was abused in a heinous way and destroyed . . . abuse in the church hits particularly hard because of the trust placed in priests around children and youths." In recent weeks, some 120 former students of Jesuit schools in the 1970s and 1980s in Berlin, Hamburg and the Black Forest have come forward with tales of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of Jesuits. Fresh accusations have come to light in recent days involving other religious orders, including the Marists, the Vincentians and Franciscans. Archbishop Zollitsch and his fellow bishops meeting in Freiburg are to review a 2002 document for dealing with child abuse allegations. The document, developed in response to US clerical abuse allegations, obliges church authorities to appoint an independent investigator to probe all abuse allegations against priests and other church staff. It describes in detail how the church is to proceed with its own internal investigation into the allegations. Only when this process is completed does the document mention informing state authorities, and then in unclear language. "In proven cases of sexual abuse of minors", the document says the suspect is "to be encouraged" to present themselves to the authorities "and, if necessary, contact will be sought with state prosecutor". Sources say the bishops will discuss whether to tighten up this passage to create an obligation on church investigators to report allegations to the police. According to a survey by Der Spiegel magazine of Germany's dioceses, 94 cases of child abuse involving priests or other church employees have been passed to German authorities since 1995. Church leaders in Germany have followed closely the abuse investigations in Ireland and are understood to have contact with Archbishop Diarmuid Martin. "The German bishops are informed about the difficulties in Ireland," said a spokesman for the German Bishops'- Conference.
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