Roger Vangheluwe, 73, Belgium’s longest-serving bishop who retired in April after admitting to to abusing a boy, attracted international attention and hundreds of new allegations of church abuse. Perhaps he also attracted the police: Belgian officials today raided the Catholic Church’s headquarters there, which just happened to coincide with a meeting of senior clerics at the palace.
Tallskin
Just What Are Belgian Police Looking For at the Catholic Archbishop’s Palace?
Answer: boys’ bodies buried underneath the flagstones?
Bound choir boys being kept in the holy cellar?
Who Cares
Sweeties for the kiddies…
Scot
Pervs like to keep trophys. Pictures, locks of hair, dirty underwear, etc. Its what usually leads to them being indicted and convicted. Criminology 101
B
No. 1 · Tallskin wrote, “Just What Are Belgian Police Looking For at the Catholic Archbishop’s Palace?”
Isn’t it obvious? Documentation that might show which individuals can be charged with being accomplices after the fact (or whatever the Belgium equivalent is). There might also be documentation showing that a priest who abused children confessed. Even if such a confession cannot be used as evidence, information in it might be useful in an investigation (and note: U.S. law does not apply in Belgium).
If there was a Belgium law requiring incidents of child abuse to be reported to the police, and they failed to report some, then just maybe some other prelates will be sent to the hoosegow as well.
Jason
I thought that was Keith Olbermann when I first looked at the picture!
jeffree
@B (#4): Any [legal] sense if a similar round-up of potential evidence could be conducted in the US? I’m thinking Boston, Milwaukee dioceses, etc.
My Dominican aunt [exCatholic, marching in Chicago Pride with PFLaG on 6/27] has asked me that question, and a couple hours on Google turned up *not much*.
With all the abuse cases in the US–I know of 4 & I dont know THAT many catholics!–, I don’t understand why the criminal investigations seem so, um, quiet.
I hate to ask you, but I trust your opinion.
I may be lapsing into conspiracy theory here, but I wonder why the US isn’t taking a similar approach.
p.s. Good to see you! Boycott BP and I don’t mean the oil company !!