Peter Kramer (priest)
Encyclopedia
Peter Kramer is a German
Catholic priest who sexually abused children
in the diocese of Regensburg.
, and he received a late ordination in 1997. He was then stationed in the locality of Viechtach
.
's opinions were not given by him (as alleged by the court), but by the diocese in the person of a therapist chosen by the priest.
surfaced after the Passau Neue Presse revealed at the end of July that former chaplain "PK", convicted of sexual abuse in 2000, had been reassigned as a parish administrator in the autumn of 2004 without informing the affected community of his background. The diocese defended its actions on the basis of an opinion by the priest's therapist, avowing that his patient had recovered and he had no concerns about a reassignment; in addition, the court-imposed probationary period had passed without any further infractions.
Roman Catholicism in Germany
The German Catholic Church, part of the worldwide Catholic Church, is under the leadership of the Pope, curia in Rome, and the German bishops. The current president of the conference is Robert Zollitsch, the archbishop to Freiburg, the country's second largest diocese with 2.07 million Catholics...
Catholic priest who sexually abused children
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
in the diocese of Regensburg.
Early life and ordination
Kramer was previously an auto mechanicAuto mechanic
An auto mechanic is a mechanic with a variety of car makes or either in a specific area or in a specific make of car. In repairing cars, their main role is to diagnose the problem accurately and quickly...
, and he received a late ordination in 1997. He was then stationed in the locality of Viechtach
Viechtach
Viechtach is a town in the district of Regen in Bavaria in Germany. It is situated on the river Schwarzer Regen, 31 km northeast of Straubing, and it is known for the quartz mountains nearby....
.
1999 indictment
Kramer was removed from ministry two years later, after the local bishop was alerted that he had abused two boys near his parish. According to the judge who issued Kramer's indictment in 1999, Bishop Manfred MullerManfred Müller
Manfred Müller is a German former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Müller began his career with Schwarz-Weiß Essen, before moving to Wuppertaler SV in 1971. Wuppertal immediately earned promotion to the Bundesliga, and finished a surprising third in their first season in the top-flight...
's opinions were not given by him (as alleged by the court), but by the diocese in the person of a therapist chosen by the priest.
2004 legal memorandum
A legal officer of the diocese, immediately after a conversation with the judge at court on 20 February 2004, issued a memorandum barring Kramer from pastoral care and contact with children; in a phone conversation, the judge did not remember issuing any such rulings. According to the guidelines of the German Bishops' Conference, in 2004 Kramer was considered a pedophile had been regarded as 2004 according to reports not pedophiles. As provided for in paragraph 12, "2. After serving his sentence the offender no tasks are assigned to more that get him in connection with children and adolescents."New allegations in 2007
On 30 August 2007, Kramer was arrested on suspicion of further sexual abuse. Four weeks later, the Nuremberg Higher Regional Court declared that the judge in Viechtach had warned against reassigning the convicted priest to the youth ministry; however, it also said its report should not have official status, but serve as an opinion.Role of Bishop Ludwig Muller
In September 2007 allegations against Bishop Gerhard Ludwig MüllerGerhard Ludwig Müller
Gerhard Ludwig Müller has served as the Bishop of Regensburg since his appointment by Pope John Paul II on 1 October 2002.-Early life:...
surfaced after the Passau Neue Presse revealed at the end of July that former chaplain "PK", convicted of sexual abuse in 2000, had been reassigned as a parish administrator in the autumn of 2004 without informing the affected community of his background. The diocese defended its actions on the basis of an opinion by the priest's therapist, avowing that his patient had recovered and he had no concerns about a reassignment; in addition, the court-imposed probationary period had passed without any further infractions.