• croatiantimes.com
• romaniantimes.at
• salzburgtimes.at
• viennatimes.at
• austrianindependent.com

Today

• Vienna - VESCC English Catholic Mass
• Vienna - Unknown Underground
• Vienna - Cats
• Vienna - Andy Warhol
• Vienna - Laser Tag

© www.gegensexuellegewalt.at

17. 02. 10. - 12:00

• more General News news
• RSS Feed General News

17. 02. 10. - 12:00

Vienna archdiocese has child abuse ombudsman

The Roman Catholic Vienna archdiocese has had an ombudsmen for sexual abuse of children since 1996, it revealed today (Weds).

Erich Leitenberger, the press spokesman for the Vienna archdiocese, said psychotherapist and psychiatrist Johannes Wancata was the current ombudsman.

Wancata said: "We are at the victims’ disposal. We take every suspicion seriously and are prepared to follow up even with legal action, if necessary."

If the person allegedly guilty of sexual abuse of children was a clergyman, his superiors would be informed, he added. "It is a matter of trying to protect future potential victims," he said.

Some victims wanted to remain anonymous, but others wanted to confront their former tormentors, Wancata said, adding that "we will do nothing against the will of a victim."

His colleagues would provide victims with therapeutic discussions and take other measures as appropriate, he noted.

He said his office was investigating two cases of alleged child abuse at present.

Leitenberger said there had been 17 cases of sexual abuse of children by clergy in Austria last year: eight in the Vienna archdiocese, two apiece in the Graz, St. Pölten and Innsbruck dioceses, and one apiece in the Linz, Salzburg and Eisenstadt dioceses.

The Austrian Bishops Conference adopted a catalogue of measures to prevent sexual abuse of children in 2006.

Leitenberger said: "Such abuse is not a trivial offence but grounds for expulsion from the priesthood."

Austria’s dioceses also have such ombudsmen. Not all are psychologists or psychiatrists, for a few are priests.

Austrian Times

Related articles: Catholic church

1. Küng tackles Schüller group

   » General News 2012-05-24

   Another top-tier representative of the Austrian Church has warned the Preachers’ Initiative from consequences.

2. Rebel priest deplores Church's 'leadership crisis'

   » General News 2012-05-22

   A Catholic preacher who established a group of "disobedient" priests reacted coolly to Viennese Archbishop Christoph Cardinal Schönborn’s warnings.

3. Schönborn warns disobedient priests

   » General News 2012-05-18

   Viennese Archbishop Christoph Cardinal Schönborn is upping the pressure on Helmut Schüller’s Preachers’ Initiative.

more related articles tagged "Catholic church"

Turks flattened by lone asylum seeker
A furious Nigerian went on the rampage at a refuge for asylum seekers in Leibnitz, attacking several people and damaging property.

Woman bites toddler
A woman who bit a two-year-old tot during a road rage row with her mother is being quizzed by police in Wiener Neustadt, Austria.

New Dany Boon comedy to be filmed in Austria
The French film star Dany Boon, one of the highest paid actors in Europe after his hit film "Welcome to the Sticks", is filming in Salzburg.

China meets Hallstatt
After a long time of speculation and anticipation the exact copy of Austrian world heritage village of Hallstatt-Dachstein in China will be unveiled, and there will be real-life Austrians present for the ceremony.

Skier in court after accident
A man from Graz is in court today accused of having inflicted negligent injury upon a five-year-old when skiing in Carinthia last year.

Two fires in Ottakring claim one life
Two fires started on Thursday evening in the Vienna district of Ottakring, one of which claimed a man’s life. Several people were evacuated as a result of the two blazes.

Cows zapped to death by lightning
Four cows were zapped to death after a lightning strike hit the barbed wire fence they were leaning on in Reith im Alpbachtal, Austria.

Wolf babies born in Schönbrunn
These cuddly Artic wolf cubs have got every right to look a bit frosty - after they emerged into the world for the first time in the middle of a 27 degree heatwave.

Cleaned Out
A Hungarian cleaning woman who stole tens of thousands of pounds worth of antique jewellery from an Austrian Countess and then sold it for "pocket money" unaware of its real value has been jailed by a court in Austria.

Great expectations for summer tourism season in Vorarlberg
The Vorarlberg tourism industry is currently riding high after a record breaking winter season, and the summer season is expected to follow that same trend.

Jobs in Austria