Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was reportedly informed about priests who abused children in Germany when he was archbishop of Munich and Freising between 1977 and 1982, but has not ruled out the suspects, says an investigative report released on Thursday. The company that led the investigations said Benedict had vehemently denied the allegation.
The archdiocese commissioned the investigation by law firm Westphal Spilker Wastl about two years ago to look into cases of abuse that took place between 1945 and 2019 and to determine whether church authorities acted properly on the allegations. The investigation was based on Church documents and interviews with witnesses.
“He was briefed on the facts,” attorney Martin Pusch told a news conference to announce the investigation’s findings. “We believe he can be charged with misconduct in four cases.” According to the lawyer, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger did not act to remove clerics suspected of sexual abuse against minors, who continued their work without sanctions.
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