BishopAccountability.org
	Belgian Cardinal Called As Witness in Abuse Probe, Media Say Earth Times July 6, 2010 http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/333454,abuse-probe-media-say.html Brussels - The former head of the Belgian conference of bishops, Cardinal Godfried Danneels, was called as a witness by police Tuesday in a probe into allegations of child sex abuse and cover-ups by the Catholic Church, local media reported. Accusations of repeated abuse and official cover-ups have rocked the church in a number of countries, including Ireland and the United States. Belgium joined their number in April after the bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, confessed to having abused a boy and resigned. The Belga news agency reported that police had called in Danneels as part of a wider probe into abuse by priests in Belgium. The key question is whether Danneels, who headed the Belgian church from 1979 until earlier this year, knew about earlier abuse cases, Belga wrote. At the end of June, Belgian police raided a number of church properties and took away evidence including Danneel's computer. The Vatican reacted fiercely to the move, accusing the Belgian authorities of behaving "worse than the Communists." Danneels has said that he only found out about Vangheluwe's abuse in April. But other sources claim that he was informed about the case over a decade ago. Dutch-language daily Het Laatste Nieuws on Tuesday reported that among the files found in Danneels' possession were photos and reports on Belgian paedophile murderer Marc Dutroux. No independent confirmation of the report could be obtained.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.