The report lists 16 allegations and indications of sexual abuse against Stehle.
“The described offenses spanned his time as a priest in Bogotá (Colombia) [in the 1950s], as Adveniat managing director in Essen [1972-1984], and later as auxiliary bishop of Quito [1983-1986] and as bishop of Santo Domingo [1987-2002] in Ecuador,” the bishops’ conference statement said.
Allegations against Stehle are not new. CNA Deutsch reported on abuse accusations against Stehle and his purported assistance in helping pedophile priests from Germany and other countries escape to Latin America in September 2021 and June 2022.
In addition to the abuse cases so far documented, the new report’s author said there could be more. Janssen called for further “efforts, together with the relevant Latin American dioceses, to reach out to possible victims. To obtain a complete picture, investigators should further analyze to what extent Stehle’s abuses were known to church authorities — and what consequences they took against them.”
Stehle ensured that several priests accused of abuse could remain undercover in Latin America, the German Bishops’ Conference said on Aug. 8.
The German bishops also said the investigation was ongoing. There would “not be a conclusion,” they noted; instead, there would be “consequences, the details of which still need to be clarified.”
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