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The long list of accusations of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church now extends to the top of the hierarchy. A report published on 20 January implicates Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (2005-2013) for neglecting to stop four cases of child sexual abuse when he officiated as Archbishop Joseph Ratzinger of the Munich diocese (1977-1982).
In some cases, accused clerics were able to retain their pastoral duties despite conviction. Benedict XVI has denied the findings of the investigation, which identified 497 victims and 235 suspects in the Munich diocese between 1945 and 2019.
These accusations add to the long list of abuses and coverups within the Catholic Church. While current Pope Francis I lifted the papal secrecy guaranteeing the confidentiality of sexual assault cases in the Church in 2019, there are still many obstacles to recognition for the victims.
A conversation with investigative reporters Stefano Valentino and Giorgio Michalopoulos, who have dissected the dark underbelly of green finance for Voxeurop and won several awards for their work.
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