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Frauenkirche in Munich: the number of people leaving the church is increasing
Photo: Sven Hoppe / dpa
The report by the law firm Westpfahl Spilker Wastl (WSW), presented on January 20 and commissioned by the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, shook the Catholic Church.
Now the number of known victims in the Archdiocese has increased.
About a month after the presentation, around 20 other suspected victims reported to the archdiocese.
The reports were received by the independent abuse officer, the Archdiocese told the dpa news agency.
The study has so far assumed at least 497 victims and 235 alleged perpetrators - but also from a much larger number of unreported cases.
Diocese registers 150 calls
In addition to the other victims, there are at least 150 calls to the diocese's newly set up hotline.
However, these came not only from those who were allegedly affected, but also from people who were struggling with the question of leaving the church or who had a problem with the church and current events.
The report had shown that cases of sexual abuse of children in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising had not been dealt with appropriately for decades.
The report accuses the former Archbishops Friedrich Wetter and Joseph Ratzinger, today Benedict XVI, of personal misconduct in several cases – as does the current Archbishop Cardinal Reinhard Marx.
Meanwhile, those who are leaving the Church continue to grow.
In Bavaria, hundreds have declared their withdrawal to the authorities in the past few weeks.
apr/dpa