Dutch bishops commission independent abuse inquiry
March 09, 2010
The Dutch Catholic bishops have called upon a former government minister to head an independent commission investigating sex-abuse complaints. Citing more than 200 reports of abuse filed with a victims' group, the bishops asked Wim Deetman, a former mayor of The Hague, to lead the inquiry.
"The number of reports of abuse in former Catholic educational establishments requires further investigation," the bishops said. "Bishops and religious workers offer their deep-felt sympathy and apologies to those who were victims of abuse in Catholic boarding schools."
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Posted by: extremeCatholic -
Mar. 09, 2010 11:19 PM ET USA
The Dutch Catholic bishops should tread carefully. In the United States, one independent board leaders, former Governor Frank Keating resigned in a dispute over secrecy. His replacements in investigation of sexual abuse by priests, Kathleen McChesney and Anne Burke released a report with the shocking finding that homosexuality was at its core: 81 percent of the victims were boys.
