[Shaun]

...(in the 1950s).

Up to 11 boys were castrated while in the care of the Dutch Roman Catholic church in the 1950s to rid them of homosexuality, a newspaper investigation has said.

A young man was castrated in 1956 after telling police he was being abused by priests, the newspaper reported.

The justice minister is investigating the role of the government at the time.

Last year, an inquiry found thousands of children had been sexually abused in Dutch Catholic institutions since 1945.

Dutch MPs called for an inquiry after the report was published in the NRC Handelsblad newspaper at the weekend.

Henk Hethuis, a pupil at a Catholic boarding school, was 18 when he told police in 1956 he was being abused by a Dutch monk. He was castrated on the instructions of Catholic priests, NRC Handelsblad said, and told this would "cure" him of his homosexuality.

The same happened to at least 10 of his schoolmates, the newspaper said.

Hethuis died in a car crash in 1958.

Dutch Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten called the allegations "very serious and shocking" and said he would investigate the role of the Dutch government at the time.

The Dutch Catholic church has said it is willing to co-operate with an investigation to find out whether the media reports are true, Reuters reports.

A commission of inquiry last year said Catholic officials had failed to tackle the widespread abuse at schools, seminaries and orphanages.

The commission - headed by former cabinet minister Wim Deetman - found tens of thousands of children had suffered abuse ranging from inappropriate touching to rape.

It condemned what it called the church's cover-up and culture of silence.

NRC Handelsblad said the commission received a complaint about the alleged castration cases in 2010.

Dutch MPs are to ask formally for a parliamentary hearing with the head of the commission, former cabinet minister Wim Deetman, to ask him why he did not include the information in his report.

still nothing wrong with religion nope nosirree never

This is what happens when you give dominion to a bunch of sexually repressed virgins over a group of young people.

Religion would have caused a lot less harm over the years if they embraced sex as a means for displaying love and affection, instead of preaching this unattainable idea of celibacy and abstinence. I get an achy groin, and become a bit ratty if I don't empty my ball sack on a regular basis, so I can't imagine the distraction of years.

[Kizzy]

Thanks for sharing jeebs...lol!
I think it goes against human nature to repress yourself. Im not religons biggest fan ...Any religon.

Originally Posted by kizzy

Thanks for sharing jeebs...lol!
I think it goes against human nature to repress yourself. Im not religons biggest fan ...Any religon.

You know I like to (if you'll excuse the pun) get everything out there!

[Niamh.]

That's absolutely horrific, some of the things that went on in catholic run institutions especially, to both kids and women is truly horrifying, there's been so many stories come to light over here as well the last few years. It's even worse when the perpetrators are supposed to be representing a loving and forgiving God. Organised religions have alot to answer for.

[Ammi]

..poor guy..he died at twenty and most of those years were sh*t..and nobody had to stand up and answer for it..so where the hell is their bloody god there..people who hide behind their positions of trust are despicable

Originally Posted by Niamh.

That's absolutely horrific, some of the things that went on in catholic run institutions especially, to both kids and women is truly horrifying, there's been so many stories come to light over here as well the last few years. It's even worse when the perpetrators are supposed to be representing a loving and forgiving God. Organised religions have alot to answer for.

It's a common misconception that god is loving. God can only be classified as loving and forgiving by people that have never read the bible.

Abrahamic Dog of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, is a god of war, rape, slavery, cruelty and revenge.

Priests often fall in to line with that very teaching. Even Jesus himself says you should hate your mother and your father if you want to follow him. T'is true, but i guess they leave all these bits out as the collection bowl is being passed around on a Sunday morning.

[Kizzy]

Yeah that old testament guy was cool! smite them...smite them all i say!!

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Jesus.H.Christ

It's a common misconception that god is loving. God can only be classified as loving and forgiving by people that have never read the bible.

Abrahamic Dog of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, is a god of war, rape, slavery, cruelty and revenge.

Priests often fall in to line with that very teaching. Even Jesus himself says you should hate your mother and your father if you want to follow him. T'is true, but i guess they leave all these bits out as the collection bowl is being passed around on a Sunday morning.

True enough I suppose. To me, organised religions were just a great way to control the masses through fear.

[Ammi]

..I don't think god has anything to do with this..if there was a god
..this is just weak perverted sadistic little ****heads who have abused their position of trust and sactuary..I don't think god comes into this at all

[Kizzy]

There will always be those who abuse their position, the sickening thing is the cover up. The sins of the catholic church have been known about for years and yet they will deny everything to avoid a scandal.

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by kizzy

There will always be those who abuse their position, the sickening thing is the cover up.

i concur.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by kizzy

There will always be those who abuse their position, the sickening thing is the cover up. The sins of the catholic church have been known about for years and yet they will deny everything to avoid a scandal.

..I would like to think that the majority of the Catholic church is still intrinsically good..I don't know how true that is because of as you say..the 'cover up' and because of everything they have ever stood for they will always 'protect' that fiercly..even if unfortunately that means protecting these people too..I don't know how much they protect and how much they are unaware

[Bollo]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

To me, organised religions were just a great way to control the masses through fear.

Ditto

Originally Posted by Ammi

..I would like to think that the majority of the Catholic church is still intrinsically good..I don't know how true that is because of as you say..the 'cover up' and because of everything they have ever stood for they will always 'protect' that fiercly..even if unfortunately that means protecting these people too..I don't know how much they protect and how much they are unaware

The majority of the catholic church hasn't been "intrinsically good" for about 2000 years, now.

The current pope wrote the policy on how to cover up sex abuse.

I'm not saying church goers or believers are bad, but "the church" and all that phrase encompasses is full of arseholes.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Ammi

..I would like to think that the majority of the Catholic church is still intrinsically good..I don't know how true that is because of as you say..the 'cover up' and because of everything they have ever stood for they will always 'protect' that fiercly..even if unfortunately that means protecting these people too..I don't know how much they protect and how much they are unaware

I have no doubt that there are many priests who are priests for all the right reasons but there are a whole lot that aren't as well, as we can see from the sheer volume of cases of abuse being reported in the last few years. I think if you were a paedophile or a lover of power then becoming a Catholic priest would have been the perfect place for you to go, it must have been like a playground for people like that, so much access to children and power over people with little or no repercussions for your actions.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Jesus.H.Christ

The majority of the catholic church hasn't been "intrinsically good" for about 2000 years, now.

The current pope wrote the policy on how to cover up sex abuse.

I'm not saying church goers or believers are bad, but "the church" and all that phrase encompasses is full of arseholes.

Tbh I don't know..I was brought up to believe in the Catholic church but knew at a very young age it wasn't for me..I'd like to believe there is good there..perhaps not in the heirarchy..but in the majority of priests..but that's just what I would like to believe..not that it's true...i'd like to believe that the majority of people in 'trust' positions are good and mentors and care about what they do and the message they give and that there are only a few 'bad apples'..which you can get in any walk of life.
With the priests I have personally known in my own life...they have all been devoted and good...and in some cases inspirational...so I suppose this affects my opinion

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I have no doubt that there are many priests who are priests for all the right reasons but there are a whole lot that aren't as well, as we can see from the sheer volume of cases of abuse being reported in the last few years. I think if you were a paedophile or a lover of power then becoming a Catholic priest would have been the perfect place for you to go, it must have been like a playground for people like that, so much access to children and power over people with little or no repercussions for your actions.

..I suppose I hadn't really thought about it like that Niamh...I wonder if a lot of them 'know' what they are when they choose the church...or whether the celibacy thing..kind of...****'s them up and this is what they do..I mean I know it's still paedophillia...but I wonder if it's there from the start
..I just think about everything too much

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Ammi

..I suppose I hadn't really thought about it like that Niamh...I wonder if a lot of them 'know' what they are when they choose the church...or whether the celibacy thing..kind of...****'s them up and this is what they do..I mean I know it's still paedophillia...but I wonder if it's there from the start
..I just think about everything too much

Could be a bit of both but I would imagine if you were a paedophile, you would seek out a place/job like that. I'm not sure celibacy would turn a person into a paedophile either but I really don't know

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Could be a bit of both but I would imagine if you were a paedophile, you would seek out a place/job like that. I'm not sure celibacy would turn a person into a paedophile either but I really don't know

..No I'm not sure that it could either..and I know it's not quite the same thing..but with the known cruelties that nuns inflicted on young girls too..I find it disturbing how many 'good' people were/are...the reverse.
When they first take their vows...I wonder if it's all a lie right from the beginning

[Mrluvaluva]

Yet another example of the actions of people in positions of trust, who use their "power" ,for their own selfish gratification, and then hide behind the veil of the church, so to speak. Why catholic priests would send an 18 year old boy to be castrated, for telling police he was being abused, is beyond me. Being told it would "cure him of his homosexuality". The poor kid would have thought he had done wrong and that it was his fault, as I am sure many others are made to feel. I suppose that was their intention though.

It's absolutely disgusting that the commission of inquiry "found tens of thousands of children had suffered abuse ranging from inappropriate touching to rape" and yet it carries on. It's obviously not confined to a small minority....

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Ammi

..No I'm not sure that it could either..and I know it's not quite the same thing..but with the known cruelties that nuns inflicted on young girls too..I find it disturbing how many 'good' people were/are...the reverse.
When they first take their vows...I wonder if it's all a lie right from the beginning

I really don't know, I do think that alot of people may have gone into the church because it was a job and somewhere to go though and maybe not all were responding to a "calling from God"