AMSTERDAM – A retired Dutch Roman Catholic cardinal has denied allegations that he protected a pedophile priest, saying he had sent the clergyman for therapy and was unaware that he committed further abuses.
Allegations of sexual abuse in the church during his tenure as archbishop of Utrecht for nearly 25 years has troubled the retirement of Cardinal Adrianus Simonis, who is now 79.
Dutch media reported Simonis transferred the unidentified priest after sending him for treatment in the 1990s, then took no further action after hearing complaints from parents about subsequent cases of child abuse.
Simonis said Friday he never heard of further complaints until those reports surfaced this week. He said he acted according to the information he had at the time.
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