I earlier speculated that the seemingly lesser number of victims in Germany may have been the result of prosecutions in the 1930s. It looks like David Clohessy was correct: that was an illusion. The Church just opened a counseling hot line. Der Standard reports
Am ersten Tag versuchten 4460 Anrufer durchzukommen, nur 162 hatten Erfolg.
On the first day 4460 callers tried to get through only 162 were successful.
Nor are the laity ignoring or enduring the ignominy. In Austria and Germany, one belongs legally to a Church and pays a church tax. One can officially leave the church. Officials report that compared to the same month last year, resignations from the Catholic Church have risen anywhere from 47% to 500%.