The Freiburg public prosecutor’s office has so far received five criminal charges against former Archbishop Robert Zollitsch (84). The ads from private individuals were recorded under the charge of evading criminal prosecution, as a spokesman reported on request.
The final report on sexual abuse by clergymen in the Archdiocese of Freiburg, published in mid-April, sees significant failures in Zollitsch’s tenure, which lasted until 2013. The high clergyman had a prominent role, because from February 2008 to March 2014 he was also chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference.
The public prosecutor had already confirmed in April that they would examine the final report by independent legal experts. Among other things, it is about the question of whether there is an initial suspicion against certain people. As the spokesman has now announced, the ads will be processed as part of this review. According to the German Criminal Code, evasion of a criminal offense is punishable by imprisonment of up to five years or a fine.
One author of the report said that as archbishop at the time, Zollitsch had omitted everything that would have been required by canon law. Actually obligatory reports of abuse cases to Rome were omitted. The 84-year-old admitted serious mistakes and personal guilt in a video in October. Even before publication, Zollitsch had announced through a spokesman that he did not want to comment on the final report.
