With the Catholic Church shaken by the child abuse scandal in Germany, journalists walked out of a press event organized by church representatives on Tuesday.
The Archdiocese of Cologne had called for a press conference to discuss an unpublished child abuse report. Specifically, church officials were to explain issues regarding the report's methodology. These issues, at least according to Cologne Archbishop Reiner Maria Woelki, were the reason for withholding the document from the public in its current form.
Church representatives said they would show journalists a redacted version of the document. They also asked reporters to sign a pledge to keep the contents "secret," including information on crimes, alleged perpetrators and implicated church officials.
"The journalist commits himself to exercise absolute silence regarding this information," the agreement read.
All eight of the journalists invited to the event refused to sign the statement.
Why has the report been withheld?
Cardinal Woelki promised an independent and comprehensive investigation into sexual abuse in his diocese two years ago. However, in October 2020, victims were told the ensuing report was not "legally watertight" and contained "inadmissible prejudices."
A new version of the report is expected to be released in March.
The decision to withhold the document until its reworked has already caused backlash in Germany. The law firm which drew up the report also decried the delay.
Woelki himself faces accusations of failing to inform the Vatican about a sexual abuse allegation.
tammage on January 6th, 2021 at 03:37 UTC »
My dad spent years in a home run by the Catholic Church in Ontario. Big lawsuit over it. It’s been over 60 years and he still won’t tell us about it. He’s even asked me not to read the book written about it until after he’s gone. I’m not sure I even want to ever read it. It shaped his life and he was deeply affected the way he deals with any kind of authority. He’s law abiding now only cause he’s too damn old to do anything. Fuck the church
Caraes_Naur on January 6th, 2021 at 01:47 UTC »
So, the exact opposite of a press conference.
urjstgonnabremoved on January 6th, 2021 at 01:42 UTC »
oh we will show you the report..sure 90% is covered in black lines and redacted..sure you can never talk about the tiny bit you do get to see..
at least the reporters did the right thing and walked away from that sweet 'deal'...you really can't change a culture or truly eradicate a problem, if you keep being opaque about the issue and covering up endless misdeeds.