The monument to Cardinal Franz Hengsbach, who was suspected of abuse, has been dismantled. Assemblers loosened the monument’s holder and a crane lifted the statue onto a truck, as a dpa reporter observed on site.
Almost a week ago, the diocese of Essen announced that there was a “serious” suspicion that Hengsbach (1910-1991) may have sexually abused a 16-year-old during his time as auxiliary bishop in Paderborn.
Representatives of those affected and the Maria 2.0 reform initiative then called for the removal of the larger-than-life statue of the clergyman. Victims of abuse held a vigil in front of the Hengsbach sculpture. The statue by the sculptor Silke Rehberg was unveiled in autumn 2011.
