František Merta
František Merta (born 1951) caused a scandal in the Czech Republic in 2000 when, while serving as a Catholic priest in the Olomouc Archdiocese, he was convicted of indecent assault of 20 boys dating back to 1995.[http://archiv.radio.cz/php/parse.phtml?soubor=%2Fenglish%2Fcur-affrs%2F10-8-00.xml Catholic priest accused of sexual abuse deepens crisis in Church] Current Affairs, Czech Radio, August 10, 2000
Scandal
Merta was accused by a theology student, Václav Novák,{{cite web |url=http://www.liberianobserver.com/node/5971 |title=The Catholic Church Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) | work= Liberian Observer |accessdate=2010-11-24 }} and was sentenced by a criminal court to a two-year suspended sentence. The archbishop of Olomouc, Jan Graubner, was accused of moving Merta to different posts in an attempt to cover up the case. Merta is still employed by the Catholic church as a civil employee in the archdiocese archives, though according to a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Olomouc, he has no contact with children.{{cite web |url=http://www.praguepost.com/news/3950-czech-church-responds-to-abuse-scandal.html |title=The Prague Post - News - Czech church responds to abuse scandal |publisher=praguepost.com |accessdate=2010-11-24 |archive-date=2010-10-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101014091239/http://praguepost.com/news/3950-czech-church-responds-to-abuse-scandal.html |url-status=dead }} In February 2025 reporters Zuzana Černá and Václav Crhonek from investigative programme of Czech Television Reportéři ČT discovered that Merta continues to exercise clerical ministry. In a direct confrontation, Archbishop Graubner admitted that during his time in Olomouc, Merta had the right of assistance, i.e., he could perform clerical activities.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.ceskatelevize.cz/porady/1142743803-reporteri-ct/225452801240006/cast/1095670/ |title=Tajemství zpovědnice |last=Černá |first=Zuzana |last2=Crhonek |first2=Václav |type=Television production |language=cs |publisher=Česká televize |year=2025 |series=Reportéři ČT |access-date=2025-02-15 |id=IDEC: 225452801240006 |via=Česká televize {{!}} iVysílání}} Shortly after publication Merta has been removed from official website of Archdiocese of Olomouc and spokesman later confirmed that for Merta "the possibility of public ministry has been terminated".{{Cite web |last=Černá |first=Zuzana |last2=Škoda |first2=Jan |year=2025 |title=Kněz Merta už nesmí působit jako duchovní, zjistili Reportéři ČT |url=https://ct24.ceskatelevize.cz/clanek/domaci/knez-merta-uz-nesmi-pusobit-jako-duchovni-zjistili-reporteri-ct-358143 |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=ČT24 |publisher=Česká televize |language=cs |type=web}}
References
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Category:Czech people convicted of child sexual abuse
Category:Catholic Church sexual abuse scandals in the Czech Republic
Category:Catholic priests convicted of child sexual abuse
Category:People convicted of indecent assault
Category:20th-century Czech Roman Catholic priests
Category:21st-century Czech Roman Catholic priests