COLOGNE – A highly anticipated report commissioned by the Cologne archdiocese on church officials’ handling of past cases of sexual abuse by clergy is set to be released Thursday.
Cologne’s archbishop, Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, has infuriated many local Roman Catholics by keeping a first report on how local church officials reacted when priests were accused of sexual abuse under wraps for months.
The cardinal has cited legal concerns about publishing the study conducted by a law firm. The new report, by a different lawyer, was due to be released later in the day.
The lawyer who was tasked with the new report, Bjoern Gercke, told media in advance that his investigation involved more than 300 abuse victims and over 200 people accused of