Brussels, Belgium, Jul 7, 2010 / 13:22 pm
Responding to an article from Tuesday's edition of the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, the Belgian Bishops' Conference released a statement on Thursday explaining that the CDs found in their offices during the recent police raid were sent to the archdiocese by a “third party.” The bishops' spokesman added, “We need serenity and this kind of wild information is insane because it gives the impression of a very dramatic atmosphere with plots all around."
The Het Laatste article from Tuesday was billed as an "exclusive" report that revealed information regarding the cases of two girls killed by "the Monster of Marcinelle," Marc Dutroux, was found in the search of archdiocesan offices. The paper asserted that these documents were destined only for civil courts and not for the Church.
Upon hearing of the newspaper's allegations, the episcopal conference's lawyer, Fernand Keuleneer, contacted judicial authorities to discover the "elements" behind the article. Mr. Keuleneer said he particularly wanted to confirm the origin of the report, the veracity of the information and to discover how it was made public during what is supposed to be a closed investigation.
Receiving no response, the bishops' conference said it released this morning's statement with the information they had on hand.