(Reuters) — A report released by representatives of the Catholic church and the victims of the Regensburg cathedral choir abuse scandal on Wednesday (October 12) shed new light into the scope of their investigation and the total number of victims.
Following an initial report released in January, 129 additional victims came forward to the commission, according to local Catholic bishop Rudolf Vorderholzer.
Most were victims of physical violence, although a number also suffered sexual abuse, he said at a news conference in Regensburg.
“In total we have 422 cases so far,” he said.
“With this package of measures we hope to supply a crucial contribution to the rehabilitation, in which my and our first and foremost aim is to give justice and satisfaction to the ones who were seriously harmed, which we can’t make good anymore, but we can show that we are sorry and that we want to do what is possible to acknowledge it and for coming generations to learn from,” he said.
Since the 1950’s priests and teachers at the renowned choir had abused and beaten children, an investigation revealed. First reports
about the abuse of the so-called Domspatzen (cathedral sparrows) emerged in 2010.
The abuse cases all occurred between 1953 and 1992.