New allegations of abuse have become known in the diocese of Münster.They are directed against a deceased priest from the St. Konrad church community in Rheine-Gellendorf.
By Heike Zafar
As the diocese announced on Sunday, a person affected had reported a sexual assault in the 1960s and asked to make the case public.In all seven Catholic churches of the now merged large community in Rheine, the parishioners were informed, mostly in the Sunday services.The diocese speaks of an accusation of "."
Informed in the evening mass
The parishioners of St. Konrad in Rheine-Gellendorf had already been informed at the evening mass on Friday that their long-time priestly priestly, who died in 2007, was said to have been sexually attacked."", says Peter Frings, intervention officer in the diocese of Münster.He himself was there when the message was read out.The priest, an religious of the Steyler missionaries, was deployed in Rheine from 1962 to 1983.Previously, he worked in Goch and Gescher and in 1982 in Gronau.
Man trusts the historian commission
The alleged victim had contacted the historian commission to deal with sexual abuse in the diocese of Münster.Since 2019, researchers from the University of Münster have been pursuing sexual violence by priests and church employees.Bishop Felix Genn has guaranteed free access to the diocese archive and the personnel files collected there and agreed not to influence the results and its publication.
Apparently other victims
It cannot be ruled out that there are other victims of attacks by the late priest from Rheine or possible witnesses, says Frings.The person concerned said that he knew from other victims.
