Father Stefan Dartmann (left)
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A Jesuit teacher has confessed to sexually abusing boys at the top German school, Canisius College in Berlin, and has been suspended from the order. The confession follows sex abuse allegations against two other Jesuits.
Almost 30 alleged victims have come forward with claims against the three staff, saying that they were abused in the 1970s and 1980s at the college, which produced some of the country's political, business and academic elite, Times Online reports.
Two teachers, Peter R and Wolfgang S, left the school in 1981 and 1979 respectively while the third alleged perpetrator, named as Bernhard E, 70, admitted to one case of sexual abuse and was suspended last week. Wolfgang S, a former gym teacher, 65, now living in Chile, last week wrote an open letter of apology to victims, while Mr R has denied the allegations.
Bernhard E worked at schools in other regions of Germany including Hamburg and Hanover before founding a charity in 1983, and gaining numerous accolades including honorary degrees.
"The cases from the 1970s in Hanover give rise to the fear that there were similar assaults at other places," said Stefan Dartmann, the head of the German Jesuit Order.
Alleged victims have told the German press that they were punished by being spanked or caned on their bare buttocks, often while alone in a room with one of the men. Others said that they were asked embarrassing details about masturbation or ordered to masturbate in front of a teacher.
Fr Dartmann admitted that the Jesuit order in Germany had evidence of the sexual abuse cases since 1981.
"I apologise that those responsible at the time did not investigate and react as they should have done," Fr Dartmann is quoted by the BBC.
He said he was aware of 25 cases not just in Berlin, but at two other Catholic schools in Hamburg and in the Black Forest, where the priests had been transferred, adds the BBC report.
FULL STORY
Jesuit teachers at top German school admit sexually abusing boys (Times Online)
Germany Jesuit head apologises for child sex abuse (BBC)