By BBC NEWS - NEWS.BBC.CO.UK
Added: Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:17:17 UTC

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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 have 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 Roman Catholic 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," he added.

At the home of retired Archbishop Godfried Danneels in Mechelen, just north of Brussels, police took documents but did not question the archbishop, said his spokesman, Hans Geybels.

Police did take away his computer, and Archbishop Danneels was fully co-operating, Mr Geybels said.

"The cardinal believes justice must run its normal course. He has nothing against that," he added.

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

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TAGGED: ABUSE, LAW, RELIGION