Archbishop in sex abuse raids

Police raided the home and office of Belgium’s recently-retired Archbishop Godfried Danneels today as part of a sex-abuse investigation.

Prosecutors said the searches followed “a number of statements related to sexual abuse of children within the church.”

Police were seen carrying boxes from the former archbishop’s office and nearby St Rombout Cathedral in the city of Mechlin, just north of Brussels.

On April 26, Belgium’s longest-serving bishop, Roger Vangheluwe, resigned after admitting to having sexually abused a young boy.