When the priest was found to have abused children, he was sent into therapy in Munich rather than reported to the police. He had forced an eleven-year-old boy to perform oral sex. If true, that would make him a child rapist but the Church officials covered up the crime. Not only did he continue to abuse children, but he remains a priest in Upper Bavaria. As the cardinal in the area, the Pope approved the plan. In 1986, the priest was convicted of child abuse and given an 18-month suspended jail sentence and fined DM 4,000 (£1,800 today).
The Church is facing an increase in such allegations in Europe, including 170 allegations of child abuse by German Catholic priests.
For the full story, click here