German cardinal will not face perjury charges over abuse allegations
Woelki, who serves as archbishop of Cologne, has faced investigations for more than two years over claims he made false remarks in a sworn statement about when he became aware of the allegations in his archdiocese.
Investigators found that Woelki - who is due to participate in the conclave to choose a successor to pope Francis in the Vatican this week - did make false statements, but out of negligence, and not intentionally.
The investigations into him have now been dropped, the prosecutors said, but Woelki must pay €26,000 ($29,450) to a charitable organization.
In one case, Woelki claimed that he first dealt with allegations against deceased priest Winfried Pilz in June 2022.
However, according to the public prosecutor's office, his WhatsApp account showed that he was aware of the case in 2019 at the latest.
Ultimately, however, it could not be proven with the necessary certainty that he remembered his actions when he submitted his affidavit in 2022.
In a hearing before the Cologne Regional Court in 2023, Woelki also made a statement over separate sexual assaults that was deemed "objectively untrue" by prosecutors.
Woelki's statement that he had signed a letter dealing with the matter without having read it was "refuted on the basis of numerous pieces of evidence."
However, intentional behaviour could not be proven with the necessary certainty, the prosecutors added.
The main reason for the decision not to press charges against Woelki was that the 68-year-old cleric had no previous criminal record, the prosecutors said.
In the course of the investigation, the archbishop's residence in Cologne was searched in 2023.
The Cologne Regional Court and Woelki have both approved the prosecutors' decision.
Woelki is already in Rome ahead of the papal conclave, which is due to begin on Wednesday.
He is one of over 130 cardinals eligible to elect the new pontiff.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
France investigates death of streamer over concerns of 'horrifying' violence
An investigation has been launched in France into the death of a 46-year-old man who livestreamed videos of himself being subjected to abuse and violence. Raphael Graven — who went by Jean Pormanove or JP online — was known for streaming extreme challenges and had built a following of more than 1 million people across various social media platforms, including the live-streaming service Kick. French prosecutors said he died on Monday at a property in the village of Contes, near Nice, according to local media. Graven had reportedly been subjected to violence and sleep deprivation for 10 days during his streaming. Footage shared on social media showed several men choking and beating Graven. In one video, the men noticed that Graven appeared lifeless while lying on a mattress and quickly cut the broadcast. The videos could not be independently verified by Euronews. Clara Chappaz, France's digital affairs and artificial intelligence (AI) minister, said that "the death of Jean Pormanove and the violence he suffered are an absolute horror". "Jean Pormanove was humiliated and mistreated for months live on the Kick platform. A judicial investigation is underway," she wrote on X. Sarah El Haïry, France's high commissioner for children, said his death was "horrifying". "Platforms have an immense responsibility in regulating online content so that our children are not exposed to violent content. I call on parents to be extremely vigilant", she wrote on X. Kick said it was "urgently reviewing" circumstances around the streamer's death. "We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jeanpormanove and extend our condolences to his family, friends and community," a spokeperson said. "Kick's community guidelines are designed to protect creators, and we remain committed to upholding these standards across our platform." Many social media users drew parallels between Pormanove's death and the British dystopian anthology show Black Mirror. In a recent episode, a man harms himself on a livestreaming platform in return for payment from viewers in order to fund life-saving treatment for his ill wife.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pope Leo to visit Lebanon, cardinal says, in likely first trip abroad
By Joshua McElwee VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Leo plans to visit Lebanon, the country's senior Catholic official announced on Wednesday, in what could be the first visit outside Italy by the new leader of the global Church. The pope will travel to Lebanon "by December", Cardinal Bechara Rai told the al-Arabiya television channel. Rai, leader of the 3.5-million-member Maronite Catholic Church, did not give a specific date for the visit but said "preparations are already underway". A Lebanese official familiar with the matter confirmed that discussions were being held about a visit towards the end of the year, though a date had not yet been finalised. Leo, the first U.S. pope, was elected by the world's Catholic cardinals on May 8 to replace the late Pope Francis, who had planned to visit Lebanon but was unable to go because of health issues. Lebanon is home to more than two million Catholics, according to Vatican statistics. A Vatican spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Rai's remarks. A Vatican official, who asked not to be named, confirmed that a trip was being planned and said it could be part of a tour that would also include Turkey. Travelling abroad has become a major part of the modern papacy, with popes seeking to meet local Catholics, spread the faith, and conduct international diplomacy. They often draw crowds in the millions. Francis made 47 visits abroad during his 12-year papacy, travelling to 68 countries. He made a policy of visiting countries that often did not draw international attention as a way of highlighting problems in what he called the "peripheries" of the world. Leo has been expected to visit Turkey in late November as part of celebrations for the 1,700th anniversary of a major early Church council, which took place in Nicaea, now called Iznik. In a message to Lebanon earlier this month, Leo commemorated the fifth anniversary of a huge chemical explosion at the Beirut port that killed 200 people and caused billions of dollars worth of damage. "Beloved and suffering Lebanon remains at the centre of our prayers," said the pope.
7 hours ago
Pope calls for peace in Middle East and Ukraine as he returns to Vatican
VATICAN CITY -- VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV asked people to fast on Friday to pray for peace and justice in the Middle East and Ukraine, issuing a special appeal as he returned to the Vatican from summer vacation. At the end of his weekly general audience Wednesday, Leo recalled that Friday is a special feast day dedicated to the Virgin Mary. He urged Catholic faithful to spend the day fasting and 'praying that the Lord grants peace and justice, and dries the tears of all those who are suffering as a result of the armed conflicts underway.' Leo has called for ceasefires in Gaza and Ukraine and for dialogue to achieve peace. Wednesday marked Leo's first day back at the Vatican after a period of vacation at the papal summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome. Going forward, the pope has some important appointments including special audiences for the Vatican's 2025 Holy Year and the Sept. 7 canonization of the Catholic Church's first millennial saint Carlo Acutis. At the end of Wednesday's audience, Leo received a special gift: A Ping-Pong table decorated with his papal coat of arms. Leo, an avid tennis player, gamely picked up a paddle and bounced a ball on it, but the ball rolled into the net.
