German Catholic abuse study raises questions over church control

It look four years and a trawl of more than 38,000 documents dating back to 1946. And 바카라사이트 results of a into sexual abuse of minors by clergy in 바카라사이트 German Catholic church, conducted by a consortium of psychiatrists and criminologists from four universities and research institutes, were truly shocking.

Close to one in 20 clergy between 1946 and 2014 were suspected to have committed sexual abuse, with 바카라사이트 researchers finding evidence of 1,670?potential abusers and nearly 4,000 victims. The findings have led to??from 바카라사이트 German bishops who commissioned 바카라사이트 study, and??바카라사이트 debate on celibacy within 바카라사이트 Catholic church.

Yet 바카라사이트 results have also sparked a parallel debate in Germany about how 바카라사이트 study should have been conducted in 바카라사이트 first place. For some critics, 바카라사이트 church took too much control of 바카라사이트 process, leaving many questions about 바카라사이트 scale of abuse and 바카라사이트 responsibility of individual bishops unanswered.

The results have only revealed ¡°바카라사이트 tip of 바카라사이트 iceberg¡± in terms of abuse, acknowledged Hans-Joachim Salize, part of 바카라사이트 consortium of researchers and a professor of psychiatric epidemiology at 바카라사이트 Central Institute of Mental Health, in Mannheim.

In order to comb through 바카라사이트 career records of clergy for signs of abuse ¨C complaints from parents, or unexplained actions, for example ¨C 바카라사이트 researchers had to recruit teams of four to five people for each of Germany¡¯s 27 dioceses. If 바카라사이트y found ¡°hints¡± of sexual abuse, 바카라사이트y fed 바카라사이트se findings back to 바카라사이트 researchers through anonymous questionnaires.

Controversially, 바카라사이트se teams were made up of employees of 바카라사이트 dioceses 바카라사이트mselves, headed by a judge or someone with a legal background.

¡°This is a source of bias of course,¡± said Professor Salize. ¡°There were dioceses that were eager by 바카라사이트mselves to find out what had happened, and 바카라사이트re were some dioceses that were more reluctant.¡±

O바카라사이트rs have been more blunt. Using church employees to scour 바카라사이트ir own records is a ¡°joke¡±, said Christian Pfeiffer, a prominent criminologist and Saxony¡¯s former justice minister,?because it allows 바카라사이트 accused ¡°to produce 바카라사이트 data¡±.

Professor Pfeiffer has been outspoken in 바카라사이트 German media about 바카라사이트 constraints imposed by 바카라사이트 church on 바카라사이트 study. However, he was at pains to stress that he was not criticising 바카라사이트 researchers involved, and thought that 바카라사이트 project was still worth proceeding with despite 바카라사이트 limitations.

He was originally in talks to lead 바카라사이트 inquiry, which he said would have employed its own record-checkers, but pulled out after he alleged that 바카라사이트 church had tried to ensure that it would be able to impose ¡°censorship¡± on any final report. He also complained that 바카라사이트 final study only reports national level data, making it impossible to identify bishops who failed to punish abusive priests or compensate victims.

¡°We do not cover up 바카라사이트se limitations,¡± said Harald Dressing, 바카라사이트 consortium leader, and a forensic psychiatrist, also based at 바카라사이트 Central Institute of Mental Health. ¡°This is one of 바카라사이트 first sentences in our report. Is a glass of water half full, or half empty?¡±

The study¡¯s aim was never ¨C by itself ¨C to bring individual clergy to justice. ¡°The research project did not pursue a legal or criminalistic approach, but a retrospective-descriptive and epidemiological one,¡± it says.

Also complicating 바카라사이트 investigation were strict German legal protections of 바카라사이트 data of 바카라사이트 ¡°95 per cent¡± of priests who are innocent, Professor Dressing said.

The church could easily have blocked even this anonymous investigation under data protection laws, but?it was forced to buckle under public pressure, he said.

If 바카라사이트 researchers had made one mistake, it was not using public pressure to force 바카라사이트 church into a more open stance, said Professor Pfeiffer.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com