German choir abuse predates Pope's brother – Vatican newspaper

(March 8, 2010) The Vatican said on Saturday that two cases of sexual abuse linked to a renowned cathedral choir in Germany did not coincide with the thirty-year period it was run by Pope Benedict's brother, Fr. Georg Ratzinger. After cases of abuse at Jesuit schools around Germany came to light last month, shocking the country, the Roman Catholic Church on Friday revealed charges of priests beating and sexually abusing boys in at least three schools in Bavaria. The Vatican’ semi-official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano printed a statement on Saturday by Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Muller of Regensburg saying that one case of abuse by the deputy director of a primary school linked to the choir was detected in 1958. The clergyman was promptly dismissed and prosecuted, the statement said. Another priest, who worked with the cathedral choir in 1958 for seven months, was convicted of sexual abuse 12 years later. An investigation was now taking place into whether he committed any abuse during his time with the choir. The two cases do not coincide with the time at which Fr. Georg Ratzinger was in charge from 1964-1994. The diocese said in a statement on Friday it was investigating three men's claims of sexual abuse, beatings and humiliation in the early 1960s, when they attended boarding schools connected to the choir. The Vatican said it fully supported the diocese of Regensburg's decision to openly and decisively investigate the issue and the Church's primary concern was to provide justice for any victims. The diocese said there were no current abuse cases and it would investigate all charges from the past.