Catholic abuse fallout spreads to Italy

The Catholic sex abuse scandal spread to Italy today with the bishop of the northern diocese of Bolzano apologising to victims and promising to co-operate with prosecutors.

The region's German-language newspapers have reported several cases of victims coming forward with tales of physical and sexual abuse in a convent in the 1960s.

In response Bishop Karl Golser launched an internet campaign to urge victims to come forward, setting up an email address for victims to send reports of abuse.

He expressed his "sincere regret" to all victims and said he would forward all claims of abuse that fall under the statute of limitations onto prosecutors.

Meanwhile the pope's former diocese in Munich said it was facing new allegations of physical and sexual abuse on a daily basis.

Elke Huemmeler, head of the diocese's newly founded sexual abuse prevention task force, said: "It is like a tsunami".

She estimated there were about 120 cases on the record to date, around 100 of them at monastery boarding school run by Benedictine monks.

She stressed, however, her role was not to deal with the old cases, but help set up the prevention program.

Her new Task Force on Sexual Abuse Prevention, now officially commissioned and backed by Archbishop Reinhard Marx, began work today.