Belgian court: evidence seized in illegal search cannot be used against Cardinal Danneels

May 29, 2013

Belgium’s highest court has ruled that documents taken from the home and office of Cardinal Godfried Danneels in a surprise June 2010 raid cannot be used in court.

Police searched the home of the retired cardinal and the offices of the Brussels archdiocese on June 24, 2010, as part of an investigation into reports that the bishops had covered up evidence of sexual abuse. The Belgian hierarchy protested the raid, which took place without warning, and won previous court rulings that the search had been conducted without proper legal authorization.

Cardinal Danneels, who had retired several weeks before the raid, has been accused of ignoring complaints of sexual abuse by Belgian priests.

 

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Further information:

• Opération Calice: Les pièces saisies chez Mgr Danneels doivent être exclues du dossier (Le Soir)
• New charges that Belgian Cardinal Danneels knew of abuse complaints years ago (CWN, 4/11/12)
• Belgian police raid 3 dioceses, take documents on abuse complaints (CWN, 1/16/12)