CNA Newsroom, Jun 27, 2023 / 06:42 am
German law enforcement officials searched several buildings of the Archdiocese of Cologne on Tuesday as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of perjury made against the archbishop, Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki.
The perjury allegations revolve around the accusation that Woelki may have provided false testimony about his awareness of reports of clergy sexual abuse within the archdiocese, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language partner news agency.
The investigation is focused on testimony related to the case of abuse committed by a priest who passed away in 2019. Woelki has been accused of having been informed about the case earlier than he had previously stated under oath.
The search of the archdiocese’s business documents and emails is intended to determine whether the accusation of perjury against Woelki can be substantiated or refuted.