Thursday, September 01, 2011

Investigative Committee to Probe Icelandic Catholic Church

LandakotskirkjaHjördís Hákonardóttir, a former Supreme Court lawyer, will lead a special committee appointed earlier this summer to investigate the work methods and reactions of the Catholic Church in Iceland regarding allegations that its employees committed sex offenses. 

The committee will also be responsible for the investigation into allegations of other violent acts that are said to have been committed by the church’s ministers and other employees, past and present, including those of the Landakotsskóli elementary school dating back to 2005, ruv.is reports.

The committee was appointed by University of Iceland law professor Róbert Spanó at the Catholic Church’s request.

Other members are Hrefna Fridriksdóttir, a reader at the University of Iceland’s legal department, and Jón Fridrik Sigurdsson, chief psychologist at the Landspítali hospital’s psychiatric ward and professor at the university’s medicine department.