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Figure of Benedict XVI.
in Altötting: A victim of abuse has filed a lawsuit against the retired Pope
Photo: Peter Kneffel / dpa
Last week, priest Peter H., who had been convicted of sexual abuse, was released from the clergy.
However, the case of the clergyman who once worked in the diocese of Essen and in the archdiocese of Munich-Freising continues to occupy the Catholic Church: one of his former victims of abuse has filed a lawsuit against the emeritus Pope Benedict XVI.
and other church representatives submitted.
According to the complaint, Benedict XVI.
had "knowledge of all circumstances" during his time as archbishop of Munich-Freising.
Benedict XVI
I "at least accepted the fact that this priest is a repeat offender".
The Correctiv research association, Die Zeit and BR reported first about the lawsuit.
The district court in Traunstein confirmed the receipt of a complaint to the dpa news agency, but did not give any names or details.
The lawsuit is now being processed.
Priests committed further crimes in the diocese of Munich-Freising
The 38-year-old plaintiff accuses Benedict XVI.
according to media reports, despite knowing better, he used H. in community work with children and young people.
The emeritus pope admitted priest H. to his diocese in Munich and Freising, although H. was known to have a pedophile record.
In Bavaria, the priest then committed further acts of abuse.
The crimes are largely statute-barred.
According to the report, the lawyer of the now suing victim, the Berlin criminal defense lawyer Andreas Schulz, has filed an action for a declaratory judgment in order to establish the guilt of the church.
If the court comes to the conclusion that then-Priest H. abused the plaintiff, the church could be "obliged to compensate him for the damage," the media quote from the complaint.
Opinion also charged Benedict XVI.
A report by a law firm commissioned by the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising and presented in January came to the conclusion that cases of sexual abuse in the diocese had not been dealt with appropriately for decades.
The Pope Emeritus is also accused of misconduct in several cases.
At the end, he wrote a letter in which he apologized to the victims of sexual abuse.
However, he firmly rejected concrete allegations of a cover-up.
According to the report, the lawsuit filed with the district court of Traunstein is also directed against Cardinal Friedrich Wetter and the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, Christoph Klingan.
According to BR, "Zeit" and Correctiv, a spokesman for the archbishop's office in Munich did not want to comment on the procedure.
According to dpa, the Pope also did not comment on request.
fek/AFP/dpa