Police raid home of Belgian archbishop in sex abuse probe



Inquiry: Cardinal Godfried Danneels' home was raided by police today in connection with a sexual abuse probe



Police investigating child sex abuse allegations yesterday raided the home of the former head of Belgium’s Roman Catholics.

They seized a personal computer and documents belonging to Cardinal Godfried Danneels.

Around 30 officers and prosecutors took part in raids on his home in Mechelen near Brussels and the archdiocesan palace, headquarters of the church in Belgium.

Yesterday’s raids come after a wave of paedophilia scandals in the church in Europe, prompting a recent plea for forgiveness from Pope Benedict XVI ‘from God and the persons involved’.

The Pope promised to do everything possible to ensure abuse never occurred again.

Cardinal Danneels, 77, once considered a contender to succeed Pope John Paul II, retired as archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels in January after 30 years as leader of Belgium’s eight million Catholics.

Officials would not say whether he was personally under suspicion of involvement in the sexual abuse of children or merely thought to have records relevant to their inquiry.

Cardinal Danneels appears to have been drawn into the inquiry triggered by a confession by Belgium’s longest-serving bishop, Roger Vangheluwe, to having sexually abused a boy while the cardinal was in office.

Vangheluwe resigned in April.

Spokesman Hans Geybels said the cardinal was giving full cooperation to the authorities, but had not been questioned.

‘The cardinal believes justice must run its normal course,’ he added.

‘He has nothing against that.’

The Brussels prosecution service said the raids followed recent statements containing allegations that figures within the church had sexually abused children.

The seizure of material was intended to help determine whether the claims were justified, said one official.

Police also searched the office of a committee examining abuse allegations with the help of the Catholic church. The panel is looking at 500 alleged cases.

Cardinal Danneels was a liberal within the Catholic church and his credentials as a papal candidate were weakened by Belgium’s record of reforms on abortion, gay rights and euthanasia, and the sharp decline of the church in the country in recent years.

Twelve years ago, he appeared in court as a witness in a case where the church was found to have failed to protect victims of a paedophile priest. He denied any knowledge of the man’s actions.

Last month Belgian bishops expressed collective remorse for abuses carried out by priests and for the church’s silence.

It has been claimed that there have been hundreds of cases dating back almost 20 years.

Cardinal Danneels’s successor, Archbishop Andre-Mutien Leonard, has pledged a ‘zero tolerance’ approach.





