Belgium has balls of steel. Balls balls balls of steel.

[BerenTebogo]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/10403961.stm


Belgian Catholic offices raided in sex abuse probe

Page last updated at 16:23 GMT, Thursday, 24 June 2010 17:23 UK

Belgian officials outside the offices of the Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels Officials said they were searching for evidence of possible abuse

Belgian authorities have raided the headquarters of the Belgian Catholic Church during an investigation into child sex abuse claims.

A spokesman for the Brussels prosecutors' office confirmed that the palace of the archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels had been sealed off.

Police also raided the home of retired Archbishop Godfried Danneels.

Belgium is one of several countries in which a stream of abuse claims have shaken the Church.

Brussels prosecutors were looking for material relating to allegations of sex abuse, a spokesman for the prosecutors' office said.

"This is a case that the Brussels prosecutors' office received recently, containing a statement of facts in relation to alleged sexual abuse of minors by a number of people within the Church," said Jean-Marc Meilleur.

"The object of the searches is to verify the declaration and eventually gather evidence about these declarations."
Tapping on boards

At the home of Archbishop Danneels in Mechelen, just north of Brussels, police did not question the cleric but took away his computer, according to his spokesman, Hans Geybels.
Continue reading the main story

The cardinal believes justice must run its normal course

Hans Geybels Spokesman for Cardinal Godfried Danneels

Mr Geybels said police had also asked the archbishop to accompany them to the cathedral in Mechelen because they had heard that there might be files there.

He said the officers were tapping on boards and looking for hidden spaces but, as far as he was aware, they had not found anything.

He said Cardinal Danneels was co-operating fully: "The cardinal believes justice must run its normal course. He has nothing against that."

Separately, the offices of an independent commission set up to look into cases of sexual abuse were also raided.

An inquiry into child sex abuse in the Catholic Church in Belgium has been running for several years.

In April, the then-bishop of the city of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, resigned after admitting that he had sexually abused a boy earlier in his career.

At the time, Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard said the move showed that the Church wanted to "resolutely turn a page on a very painful" topic.
Papal pledge

In recent months, allegations of abuse levelled against Catholic priests have surfaced in many countries.

There have also been accusations that Church authorities in Europe and North and South America failed to deal with cases openly or properly.

Pope Benedict XVI himself has been accused of being part of a culture of secrecy, and of not taking strong enough steps against abusers when he had that responsibility as a cardinal in Rome.

However, his supporters say he has been the most pro-active pope yet in confronting abuse.

The Pope pledged in April to "bring to justice" Church officials responsible for abuse.

The Vatican also made it explicit that sex abuse cases should be reported to police if required by law.

Belgium just looked hundreds of years of "divinity" in the face and spit in its fucking mouth. I love it.

It's a shame that it's taken so long for someone to not be bullied into backing down by the Catholic church, but I'm damn happy that someone decided to step up and grab those child-rapists by the balls.

I mean really, it's to a point where child fucking can almost be called an epidemic, and there will still be unabashed sympathy for the church and massive worldwide criticism of Belgium's actions over this. Hopefully this gets the ball rolling though and it picks up some momentum.

Many of these rapists deserve nothing short of some Lexington Steele-esque motherfucker thrusting their 2 feet of black manliness through partially-healed holes in their colon for the next 60 years, but I doubt it will ever come about in America.

[Correction]

Berlin?

[Cyn]

I may be missing something, but the article says Brussels, Belgium?

[BerenTebogo]

Fuck.

[BerenTebogo]

Just got home and am exhausted and was too excited to check what I was writing. Modfix whenever.

[Cyn]

lol

[Atreides]

YOU'RE A FUCKING RACIST SATH

[BerenTebogo]

All them B people all look alike to me.

[Cyn]

Not Brazil, the bitches down there are fucking smoking in comparison to the other Bs.

But yeah, the amount of flack that the Catholic Church has been getting around the world is giving me a serious boner.

[ZarakiKujata]

Ignorant American. Europe isn't just 1 country.

[isladar]

Fixed, also, lol Geybels

[BerenTebogo]

Fixed, also, lol Geybels

Thanks a bunch, lol.

[Klutz]

Original thread title gotme super excited.

[isladar]

Me too; I was hoping it was gonna be something like "Berlin Knife Rampage", which was always my No. 1 choice for a ripped-from-the-headlines punk band name.

[thalandor]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/10403961.stm


Belgian Catholic offices raided in sex abuse probe



Belgium just looked hundreds of years of "divinity" in the face and spit in its fucking mouth. I love it.

It's a shame that it's taken so long for someone to not be bullied into backing down by the Catholic church, but I'm damn happy that someone decided to step up and grab those child-rapists by the balls.

I mean really, it's to a point where child fucking can almost be called an epidemic, and there will still be unabashed sympathy for the church and massive worldwide criticism of Belgium's actions over this. Hopefully this gets the ball rolling though and it picks up some momentum.

Many of these rapists deserve nothing short of some Lexington Steele-esque motherfucker thrusting their 2 feet of black manliness through partially-healed holes in their colon for the next 60 years, but I doubt it will ever come about in America.

We got it! Altar boy. Why is this even a big news? Justice must keep its course. Church or not. Getting this happy just for a normal investigations doesnt speak too good of you.
Woot they just raided another drug lab! im soo happy!

[Zoolander]

In April, the then-bishop of the city of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, resigned after admitting that he had sexually abused a boy earlier in his career.

I can't be the only one continually blown away by things like this. How the hell does he admit to being a child molester and get to resign, as if its nbd. He should be in jail. Such a bizarre double standard for priests. We label child molesters as a special kind of criminal and label people as sex offenders for the rest of their lives (or just about, idk details), but priests simply get to say "whoops, ok I'll resign and live out my life in comfort." Ridiculous.

However, his supporters say he has been the most pro-active pope yet in confronting abuse.

This reminds me of something out of Waiting that has become something I consistently use whenever appropriate...the above is like being the smartest kids with downs syndrome, I mean come the fuck on lol.

[Jaybar]

We got it! Altar boy. Why is this even a big news? Justice must keep its course. Church or not. Getting this happy just for a normal investigations doesnt speak too good of you.
Woot they just raided another drug lab! im soo happy!

I guess he's happy that they did a raid instead of an "investigation".

[archibaldcrane]

I can't be the only one continually blown away by things like this. How the hell does he admit to being a child molester and get to resign, as if its nbd. He should be in jail. Such a bizarre double standard for priests. We label child molesters as a special kind of criminal and label people as sex offenders for the rest of their lives (or just about, idk details), but priests simply get to say "whoops, ok I'll resign and live out my life in comfort." Ridiculous.

Depending on the jurisdiction, many of these crimes have long outlasted their statute of limitations.

[Jodwahh]

A lot of countries don't have a statute of limitation.

[Melchiah]

We got it! Altar boy. Why is this even a big news? Justice must keep its course. Church or not. Getting this happy just for a normal investigations doesnt speak too good of you.
Woot they just raided another drug lab! im soo happy!

Are you serious, or is this clever trolling?

You understand that all of God's little peons have been damn nigh given carte blanche to do whatever they feel like, and fuck the rest of us?

They've been getting away with raping children for years that we know of, and no one has had the balls to call them on it and prosecute them. I see no reason why that number couldn't be potentially measured in centuries; I'm certain this is NOT a fresh phenomenon within the church.