German police have raided properties belonging to the Catholic church in response to allegations that the archbishop of Cologne committed perjury over his knowledge of sexual abuse in the local diocese.
Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, one of the most senior leaders in the German Catholic church, is under investigation on suspicion of having falsely testified to court about when he became aware of reports of clergy sexual abuse.
The raids, carried out by 30 plainclothes police officers and four state prosecutors, took place at 8am local time, according to authorities. Four of the properties searched were in Cologne, the others in Kassel and the town of Lohfelden.
Media who were present captured footage of Woelki dressed in civilian attire, appearing to personally open the gates to his own residence as the police arrived.
Authorities said that the searches had taken place without any resistance from those involved. “The measures were carried out without incident and were received with widespread cooperation at the various search locations,” a spokesperson for the prosecutor said.
Among the organisations searched was the headquarters of the IT company that supplies the email service for the diocese.
Police are believed to have been searching for specific documents and emails relating to the investigation. Prosecutors said the investigation was likely to take several months.
The case centres on the elevation of a priest to a higher position in the city of Düsseldorf who has been accused of several accounts of sexual abuse against children.
Woelki has said he was made aware of the abuse cases and the individual accused of carrying them out only last year. However, a former church employee has claimed to have informed him in a list of numerous alleged abusers eight years ago.
The Cologne prosecutor’s office had announced last month it was investigating Woelki on suspicion of perjury based on a criminal complaint by a layperson over testimony given by Woelki to a libel dispute with the German tabloid Bild.
The archdiocese of Cologne is one of Germany’s biggest Catholic administration, with more than 2 million Catholics. It is estimated to be the richest diocese in Europe, financed in large part by an obligatory church tax, which is levied on churchgoers.
However, in recent years tens of thousands of members have actively left the church, with many citing as their main reason a string of child abuse scandals as well as the treatment of women.
