German priest dismissed from clergy following years of sexual abuse

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - A German priest was permanently dismissed from the clergy on Monday after a church tribunal upheld his conviction for instances of sexual abuse over several years.

The archdiocese of Paderborn confirmed that the former pastor, who served in Freisen, Saarland, was found guilty of abusing five people, including a minor. According to the statement, the dismissal is final and cannot be appealed under church law.

The bishop of Trier, Stephan Ackermann, acknowledged that church authorities had mishandled the case and failed to properly support victims. “We should have acted more proactively and decisively,” he said in a previous statement.

Despite multiple investigations by civil authorities since 2006, probes were suspended due to insufficient evidence. The accused priest continued to serve until 2015.

In Germany, recent investigations have revealed that hundreds of children were sexually abused by members of the clergy over more than 50 years, and most of these cases were covered up by church authorities.