Church – Cologne – Woelkis former church judge testifies in the process – Panorama
Cologne (dpa) – The former church judge of the Archdiocese of Cologne, Günter Assenmacher, testifies today as a witness in an abuse process. A Catholic priest is accused before the Cologne Regional Court, who is said to have abused his nieces as children in Gummersbach in the 1990s. In addition, the clergyman is said to have abused an eleven-year-old in Wuppertal in 2011 when she was visiting him with a friend. Further suspected cases arose during the trial.
The accused priest had already been reported once in 2010, but after some time the complaint was withdrawn. The responsible Archdiocese of Cologne under the direction of K. demanded half of his legal fees and the priest again. He also dealt with children again.
Assenmacher was the official of the Archdiocese of Cologne and was responsible for church judicial matters since 1995. Last year, in an independent report, he was accused of breaches of duty in dealing with cases of abuse. As a result, Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki initially released him from his official duties, and later he resigned from office.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 220112-99-684907 / 2