Judical bias protects Cardinal Danneels from fresh conviction?

7s7 Belgique - Mgr Danneels blanchi par le meme Procureur en 1998 (1132743)

Msgr Danneels exonerated by the same Attorney in 1998

The Attorney General Marc de le Court, who is examining the investigation of pedophilia committed by priests, presided over the division of a court of appeal which exonerated in 1998 Archbishop Danneels from similar offenses which are alleged today. These revelations come from the Tele-Moustique in an article published Wednesday.

In 1998, the Brussels Criminal Court sentenced Father André Vander Lijn to 6 years in prison on charges of raping minors. There were scouts to whom he was a chaplain in the parish of Saint-Gilles.

The court also found that Archbishop Danneels and Auxiliary Bishop Paul Lanneau had been informed of the behavior of the pedophile priest and they were civilly liable.

Interested parties lodged an appeal and were exonerated. Tele Moustique notes that this appeal court at the time was headed by Marc de le Court, the same man who is now Attorney General, who recalled the investigation file of Judge De Troy to his office.

The magazine speculates that the Attorney General, a Catholic, would attempt to prevent the current case from implicating the former primate of Belgium, Godfried Danneels.

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