Rome Reports TV News Agency
17 August 2010
Newscast: Belgian Victims of Sexual Abuse Complain to Judiciary about Lack of Information
August 17, 2010. Belgian victims of sexual abuse by priests have issued a complaint against their nations’ judiciary at the European Court of Human Rights.
The victims complain that they were not informed of the results of an investigation, carried out into a 24 June raid of the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels, Sint Rombouts Cathedral, and the home of Cardinal Godfried Danneels.
The Belgian courts concluded that the investigations were “irregular” and therefore could not continue. However, the judge requested confidentiality and victims were not informed.
The investigation tried to determine whether members of the hierarchy had covered up a case of a Belgian priest accused of sexual abuse.
The Vatican expressed its indignation following the June raid and the way in which it was carried out.
PVB/EP