The Jesuit locality has also helped victims of abuse by members of the order in Hamburg and St. Blasien asked for forgiveness. "These victims carry burdensome memories and now raise their voices. I thank them for that," said the highest-ranking Jesuit in Germany, Father Stefan Dartmann, in Munich on Tuesday. Berlin Cardinal Georg Sterzinsky expressed his "dismay and surprise".
Students at Berlin's Canisius College accuse the two religious clergymen at the time, Peter R. (69) and Wolfgang S. (65) of sexual assault. Wolfgang S. was accused of further assaults after his transfer to the then Jesuit-run St. Ansgar School in Hamburg(1979-1982) and the Jesuit High School Sankt Blasien in the Black Forest (1982-1984). The same applies to Peter R. to, who was a member of the Gottingen Jesuit Niederlang in the diocese of Hildesheim from 1982 to 1995 pastor.
Diocese of Hildesheim: Two cases of The diocese of Hildesheim announced that in the diocese there are now two cases of abuse by Peter R. concretely known, in at least one case it was a minor. "From today's perspective, we have taken the accusations too little seriously and clearly underestimated the scope of further developments," admitted the then Bishop Josef Homeyer on Tuesday. "I deeply regret this."According to the diocese, a mother informed Homeyer in October 1993 that Peter R. had indecently touched her 14-year-old daughter. As a result, the diocese had banned the priest from youth ministry, but did not follow through on that ban. In 1997 Peter R. been accused of further sexual harassment. As a result, he said, he was transferred from the parish. The episcopal commissioner for cases of sexual abuse in the diocese of Hildesheim, Canon Heinz-Gunter Bongartz, emphasized that the diocese today resolutely pursues every suspicion and intensively deals with victims and perpetrators. Currently, the diocese is examining whether Peter R. further people sexually abused. In the fall of 1982, his order had transferred him from the Canisius College to the Jesuit Niederlang Gottingen. There he took over the duties of the deanery youth pastor. At the time of the hiring, the diocese said it was unaware of any misconduct by the priest.
Berlin cardinal "dismayed" – praise for clarification Berlin Cardinal Georg Sterzinsky also expressed "dismay and surprise" at the incidents at Berlin's Canisius College. On RBB television, he called for children to be educated about abuse in sex education. He said they must be told to confide in their parents if something strange happens to them. Meanwhile, CDU member of the Bundestag Monika Grutters praised the rector of Canisius College, Father Klaus Mertes, on RBB for going public with his information. At the same time, she opposed demands to abolish the obligation of Catholic priests to remain celibate. Sexual abuse also occurs in organizations that are not celibate. The chairman of the parents' council of the College of St. Francis of Assisi. Blasien in the Black Forest, Jurgen Braun, said it was very positive that the school administration had reacted quickly and openly when the incidents of the 1980s came to light. The trustful cooperation of parents and school is not questioned, he said.