You are here: Home » News » Crime » Belgian Police Raid Home Of Archbishop In Child Sex Abuse Case

Belgian Police Raid Home Of Archbishop In Child Sex Abuse Case

06/24/10-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
The child sex abuse scandal has gotten serious in Belgium as the palace of the Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels has been raided by police in connection to charges of child sexual molestation. The home of retired Archbishop Godfried Danneels was also raided. The raids are serious for the Catholic Church given that European politicians and citizens are already wandering away from the home of Catholicism. At one point, Roman Catholicism was the religion of Western Europe.

Jean-Marc Meilleur, spokesman for the Belgian prosecutor’s office, stated “This is a case that the Brussels prosecutors’ office received recently, containing a statement of facts in relation to alleged sexual abuse of minors by a number of people within the church. The object of the searches is to verify the declaration and eventually gather evidence about these declarations.”

The police removed Archbishop Danneels’ computer, and searched his home for secret stashes, but as far as his spokesman, Hans Geybels, knew, they did not find any. According to Mr. Geybels, “The cardinal believes justice must run its normal course. He has nothing against that.” The police did have Archbishop Danneels accompany them to the cathedral in Mechelen on a tip that there were files there.

In April, Bishop of Bruges Roger Vangheluwe resigned after admitting that, early in his career, he sexually abused a child.

While the majority of child sexual abuse cases that get reported in the media are by priests against boys, girls are also the targets of many priests as well. Some of the cases involve priests who have raped girls in their teens and ended up impregnating them. Many priests believe that by raping and molesting boys, they are not violating their celibacy vows.