German nuns were paid to 'drag' children to be sexually abused by predatory Catholic priests, court documents allege
- German nuns aided in the abuse of children by priests in the 1960s and 1970s, according to recently released court documents.
- A victim testified that he was abused more than 1,000 times by clergy after nuns dragged him to the home of predators, Deutsche Welle reported.
- The victim alleged some of the nuns received money for acting like "pimps," Der Spiegel reported.
German nuns in the city of Speyer received money for luring children to predatory priests who sexually abused them, local media reported from recently released court documents.
One victim, Karl Haucke, filed a court case seeking compensation from the Catholic church and alleging more than 1,000 instances of abuse over the 10 years he lived at a now-shuttered children's home, Deutsche Welle reported.
The case was decided in May, but the documents were only recently released. Haucke was awarded $18,000 for his suffering, the outlet reported.
The Bishop of Speyer has identified the primary abuser as a vicar named Rudolf Motzenbäcker, who is now dead.
The abuse is alleged to have happened in the 1960s and 1970s.
Haucke said he was "literally dragged" by nuns to Motzenbäcker's home where he was abused, Der Spiegel reported.
If he resisted, Haucke alleged, he would be beaten.
Haucke also testified that influential visitors to the children's home would abuse him and other children as young as 7 at "sex parties."
Haucke referred to the nuns as "pimps," according to Der Spiegel.
"The nuns earned money from it. The men who were present would have donated generously," Haucke said in his testimony.
Now 65, Haucke has post-traumatic stress disorder and said many of the children who were abused had since died. Some died by suicide, he said, according to DW.
- Read more:
- 1,700 Catholic priests accused of child sexual abuse are reportedly living freely in the US
- Australia's most senior Catholic cleric has been sentenced to 6 years in prison for sexually abusing two choirboys
- A Pennsylvania woman who says she was sexually abused by a priest for 20 years says she 'split' her personality to face the ordeal