From Der Spiegel-
A German public prosecutor has launched a criminal investigation into the chairman of the Catholic Church's governing body in Germany. Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, prosecutors believe, hired a priest he knew had committed sex crimes.
Public prosecutors in the southern city of Freiburg confirmed Wednesday that they had initiated criminal proceedings against the leader of the Catholic Church in Germany, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, for accessory to abuse of minors by omission. The city's chief public prosecutor, Wolfgang Meier, said the proceedings were the result of charges filed against another man at the end of May.
Investigators believe that Zollitsch -- who in addition to serving as the archbishop of Freiburg is also the chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, the governing body of the Catholic Church in the country -- was aware of sexual assault allegedly committed by a Catholic priest in the town of Birnau on Lake Constance in southern Germany. As the person responsible for human resources in Birnau at the time, Zollitsch is believed to have allowed the hiring of the priest despite the fact that he allegedly had knowledge the man had committed sexual assault. Officials in Freiburg have since turned the case over to their colleagues in Constance, who have jurisdiction over the Birnau area.
More here-
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,698373,00.html
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