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McCann suspect in German trial for unrelated sex offences

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Christian Brückner, the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, recently appeared in a German court for unrelated sex offenses. He faces charges of rape and sexual abuse dating back to between 2000 and 2017 in Portugal. Brückner, who is already serving a seven-year sentence for rape, denies any involvement in Madeleine McCann’s case.

The trial was postponed due to allegations that a lay judge had posted radical views on social media. Brückner has never been formally charged in the McCann case, but German investigators identified him as a suspect in 2020. The charges he currently faces are for offenses unrelated to Madeleine’s disappearance.

Brückner’s lawyer has criticized the charges, but the trial continues in Lower Saxony, Germany. Brückner has a history of convictions in Portugal, including rape and theft. Although initially not closely investigated in Madeleine’s case, Brückner’s connection to it has brought him under scrutiny.

He is currently serving a prison sentence and the outcome of this trial may affect his incarceration beyond his current sentence.

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Spanish Church sexual abuse affected 200,000 children, commission finds

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According to a recent report by Spain’s ombudsman, more than 200,000 children have reportedly suffered sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic clergy in Spain. The ombudsman, Angel Gabilondo, expressed deep concern over the “devastating impact” this has had on the victims. He criticized the Church for its silence and attempts to conceal or deny the abuse, emphasizing that this silence has facilitated such atrocities.

The comprehensive 700-page report, commissioned by Spain’s Congress last year, was based on a survey of 800,000 members of the public. The findings indicated that approximately 0.6% of the adult population, roughly 39 million people, reported experiencing sexual abuse as children by clergy members. When allegations of abuse by lay individuals in Church-run institutions were included, this percentage rose to 1.13%, accounting for over 400,000 people.

Mr. Gabilondo urged caution in interpreting these numbers and highlighted the emotional toll detailed in the statements of more than 487 abuse survivors. The report called for urgent action to address the suffering that has long been concealed by a pervasive culture of silence.

In response to these findings, the ombudsman proposed the establishment of a state-funded compensation program for victims of abuse. The investigation was initiated following an earlier inquiry by the El Pais newspaper in 2018, which had already cataloged over 1,000 alleged cases of abuse. Although the Church partially cooperated with the commission, Mr. Gabilondo noted their lack of active engagement and the resistance of certain bishops in collaborating with the inquiry.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hailed the report as a “milestone” in the nation’s democracy, stressing that it has brought to light a reality that had long been known but not openly discussed.

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Switzerland: Hundreds of sex abuse cases ‘tip of the iceberg’, say researchers

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A recent official investigation into the Roman Catholic Church in Switzerland has revealed nearly 1,000 cases of sexual abuse dating back to 1950. The report, compiled by researchers from the University of Zurich, found that the majority of victims were children, with 56% of them being male. Most of the accused individuals were men, and there was also evidence of a widespread cover-up within the Church.

The study, which was commissioned by Church authorities and conducted over a year, granted access to Church archives and included interviews with victims of sexual abuse. However, the researchers noted that many relevant documents had not been provided. They also uncovered instances of records being destroyed in two dioceses, and some cases of abuse were not documented or archived.

The report suggests that the identified cases represent only a fraction of the actual abuse cases, as many likely went unreported. A significant portion of the abuse occurred during pastoral activities, such as confession, altar service, and religious education in children’s clubs and associations. About 30% of the abuse took place within institutions like Catholic children’s homes, day schools, and boarding schools.

The researchers criticized Church officials, including bishops, for their inadequate response to these cases, often keeping them secret, covering them up, or downplaying their significance. They found evidence of clerics accused of abuse being systematically reassigned to different roles, sometimes abroad, to avoid prosecution, prioritizing the Church’s interests over the safety of parishioners.

This culture of secrecy and protection persisted until the 21st century, when various sex abuse scandals began to surface. Groups representing sexual abuse victims expressed their disappointment in the Church’s actions over the decades, accusing it of prioritizing the institution’s reputation over the well-being of victims.

In response to the report, the president of the Swiss Bishops’ Conference acknowledged that the organization had made numerous excuses and had fallen short in its response to victims’ needs. Church authorities pledged to fund a follow-up project by the University of Zurich, set to begin in 2024.

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Cardinal Ricard among 11 French bishops accused of abuse

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One of the eleven current or former bishops charged with sexual assault is French Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, according to the Church.

The cardinal issued a statement in which he admitted to abusing a 14-year-old girl while serving as a parish priest 35 years prior and announced his decision to step down from his duties.

A panel discovered evidence of thousands of paedophiles working for decades within the French Catholic Church a year ago.

Each of the 11 accused will either be prosecuted or subject to church discipline.

The most recent information was made public during a conference of French bishops held in Lourdes, in southwest France.

Among the 11, according to Archbishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, was Michel Santier, a former bishop of Créteil who resigned last year following allegations of sexual abuse dating back two decades.

He read aloud a letter from Cardinal Ricard in which he admitted to acting “reprehensibly” with a 14-year-old girl and that his actions had unavoidably resulted in serious and long-lasting effects for her.

The 78-year-old cardinal claimed he had begged her forgiveness and expressed regret to those he had offended during his 18 years as bishop of Bordeaux. He is now retired. In addition to expressing condolences to the victim, the current bishop, Jean-Paul James, reissued his call for anyone who has experienced abuse in the diocese to come forward.

In addition to the cardinal and Michel Santier, the conference’s leader stated that six other bishops had faced accusations from either the Church or the Judiciary, and one of them had already passed away.

The Roman Catholic Church has been shaken by charges of sexual abuse in numerous nations, including France. Pope Francis modified the Church’s regulations last year to establish crimes under Vatican law for sexual abuse, luring children for sex, owning child pornography, and covering up abuse.

The Pope stated that the Church of France has once again been overwhelmed by the excesses committed by some of its pastors in a communication sent before of the autumn bishops’ conference in Lourdes.

The purpose of the conference was to discuss ways to increase openness and communication in cases of clergy abuse.

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Austrian Olympic champion awarded five years imprisonment for child abuse

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A renowned Austrian Olympic judo champion, Peter Seisenbacher, who won two Olympic gold medals in the year 1984 and the year 1988, has been awarded a tough sentence of five years imprisonment for abusing two of his students while working as a coach.

The incidents led to the cases happened in 1990s and 2000s. The victims were children then.

The court has found no reason to disbelief the statements given by the victims.

The trial was supposed to begin in the year 2016 itself. But, it was delayed as he briefly disappeared prior to the scheduled date. Later, he surfaced from his hiding in Georgia and fled to Ukraine. Only few months has passed since he was handed over to Austria by Ukraine.

He denied all allegations triggered against him.

As per the judgement, the Olympian will have the right to approach a higher court challenging the verdict delivered by the present court.


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