Dutch cardinal covered up sexual abuse

This video is called Would You Believe on clerical sexual abuse.

Translated from Dutch news agency ANP:

Simonis knew of abuse by priest

Published: February 10, 2011 3:06 p.m.
Last Modified: February 10, 2011 5:01 p.m.

HAARLEM – Cardinal Ad Simonis knew the history of the priest who abused boys at a parish in Zoetermeer. Therapy ”and a serious written psychological report seemed to be a sufficient basis for a new appointment.”

This Cardinal Ad Simonis has announced in a written response to the news that he, when he was archbishop [of Utrecht], covered up the case of this pedophile priest.

The priest was convicted in 1990 of sexual abuse of underage boys. Yet Simonis in 1991 made him the pastor in a parish in Amersfoort. Daily paper NRC Handelsblad and Radio Netherlands Worldwide reported this on Thursday.

In Amersfoort that priest re-offended. In total, he is said to have abused dozens of boys at several parishes. …

Parents of children who complained to the cardinal about the priest did not get answers, the paper writes.

Simonis said in January that sexual abuse was not mentioned at bishops’ meetings until the nineteen nineties, and that it simply did not exist during his time. …

In 1991 Simonis as archbishop of Utrecht took over the then unemployed chaplain from the diocese of Rotterdam and made sure he got a job as pastor at St. Henry Parish in Amersfoort.

The parishioners, however, were not informed about the abuse history of the priest.

Over a thousand Dutch priests in sexual abuse? Here.