German Bishops Cancel Study Into Sexual Abuse by Priests

[SteamChief]

"the bishops wanted to change previously agreed-upon guidelines for the project to include a final veto over publishing its results,"

'Officials made “an attempt to turn the whole contract towards censorship and stronger control by the church,” said Mr. Pfeiffer, head of the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony'

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/10/wo...html?ref=world

[SalisburySage]

I am glad they canceled this. They are paying for it they should be able to determine what is done with it.

BTW: The age of consent in Germany is 14, as long as a person over the age of 21 does not exploit a 14–15 year-old person's lack of capacity for sexual self-determination, in which case a conviction of an individual over the age of 21 requires a complaint from the younger individual; being over 21 and engaging in sexual relations with a minor of that age does not constitute an offense in and of itself. Otherwise the age of consent is 14, although provisions protecting minors against coercion apply until the age of 18 (under section Section 182(1) it is illegal to engage in sexual activity with a person under 18 "by taking advantage of an exploitative situation"

[SteamChief]

I am glad they canceled this. They are paying for it they should be able to determine what is done with it.

BTW: The age of consent in Germany is 14, as long as a person over the age of 21 does not exploit a 14–15 year-old person's lack of capacity for sexual self-determination, in which case a conviction of an individual over the age of 21 requires a complaint from the younger individual; being over 21 and engaging in sexual relations with a minor of that age does not constitute an offense in and of itself. Otherwise the age of consent is 14, although provisions protecting minors against coercion apply until the age of 18 (under section Section 182(1) it is illegal to engage in sexual activity with a person under 18 "by taking advantage of an exploitative situation"

So you are saying its OK for the priest to ....... 14 year old boys?

[songfourone]

"the bishops wanted to change previously agreed-upon guidelines for the project to include a final veto over publishing its results,"

'Officials made “an attempt to turn the whole contract towards censorship and stronger control by the church,” said Mr. Pfeiffer, head of the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony'

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/10/wo...html?ref=world

Rut Ro, yet another unseemly move by the Catholic Church, say it is not so?

[SalisburySage]

So you are saying its OK for the priest to ....... 14 year old boys?

The German law is specific. I think that the Priests must follow the German law. I do think they have a greater burden because of their position but the law allows consensual sexual relations if there is no coercion.

I don't have an opinion on if its a "OK" or not. I find that the only way to deal with such matters is to follow the law, and if the law is wrong to seek to have it changed.

[songfourone]

The German law is specific. I think that the Priests must follow the German law. I do think they have a greater burden because of their position but the law allows consensual sexual relations if there is no coercion.

I don't have an opinion on if its a "OK" or not. I find that the only way to deal with such matters is to follow the law, and if the law is wrong to seek to have it changed.

NO coercion? The priest is in a postion of power, supposed to be someone that is for religious guidance, and is by the way, supposed to be chaste.

[Calamari]

They probably wanted the veto in case they themselves got caught.

[DaggerJohn]

It's a dispute between the Bishops and a guy who just lost a contract. How do you know that this guy Pfeiffer (the investigator) was reliable and not a loose cannon? Two sides to every story. Unfortunately some posters here immediately accept the investigator's version. And the word "cancel" is misleading--apparently the Bishops will go ahead with the study, with a different investigator.

[songfourone]

It's a dispute between the Bishops and a guy who just lost a contract. How do you know that this guy Pfeiffer (the investigator) was reliable and not a loose cannon? Two sides to every story. Unfortunately some posters here immediately accept the investigator's version. And the word "cancel" is misleading--apparently the Bishops will go ahead with the study, with a different investigator.

Yes because historically the Catholic Church has been transparent and beyond reproach? Gotcha

[llubon]

Thousands of rape cases across the world in Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy and the United States to name a few and the catholic church still protects their rapist. It is my belief that the catholic church is a pedophilia ring and has been for decades.


"Mr. Pfeiffer told German Radio that the bishops wanted to change previously agreed-upon guidelines for the project to include a final veto over publishing its results, which he could not accept. Officials made “an attempt to turn the whole contract towards censorship and stronger control by the church,” said Mr. Pfeiffer, head of the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony."

It's apparent there are things the catholic church doesn't want the public to know.


"Bishop Ackermann said the bishops feared that Mr. Pfeiffer would publish results without their permission. “We weren’t trying to hold things back,” he said. “We want a similar project to go ahead.”

The bishops want a similar project to go ahead with a person they can bully.