Wallenfels / Bamberg (dpa / lby) - After allegations of abuse against a long-standing pastor in the Upper Franconian municipality of Wallenfels became known, a further six alleged victims have so far reported to the Archdiocese of Bamberg. This was announced by a spokesman on request. Previously, five victims were already known. Archbishop Ludwig Schick meanwhile announced a visit to the parish in the district of Kronach.
The Archdiocese recently announced that Schick only found out about the allegations of abuse after the man's death in 2005. Allegations of abuse against the Catholic pastor were on record as early as 1963.
Archbishop Schick had emphasized that the diocese leadership at that time had committed serious omissions according to today's guidelines. From today's perspective, it is inconceivable that a priest who has been accused of such things would not be removed from office and at least punished according to canon law. After 1963 he should no longer have been employed as a chaplain and parish priest.
As the Archdiocese further announced at the end of September, the later Wallenfels pastor had written letters of apology to the then Archbishop and the auxiliary bishop in 1963 after the first allegations of abuse. He then went to Bolivia for several years as a pastor. From 1970 to 1995 he worked in Wallenfels - first as a chaplain, then as a priest.
In 1999, another allegation of sexual abuse was raised against the clergyman. According to the Archdiocese, the case was difficult to clarify because the priest had since gone back to Bolivia. From the period between 1964 and 1999, no such allegations against him are on record. In 2003, Archbishop Ludwig Schick officially retired the now 70-year-old priest, according to the Archdiocese. In 2005 the priest died.
