A newly discovered letter describes allegations of sexual abuse committed by former Bruges bishop Roger Vangheluwe against three-year-old twin girls and may lead to criminal charges, according to reports by Humo magazine and the news site Apache.
The letter, written 17 years ago, was sent by nuns from the Stella Maris orphanage in Kortrijk to Cardinal Godfried Danneels. It recounts an incident involving Vangheluwe during a visit to the institution in August 2008.
According to the document, Vangheluwe allegedly offered to take children on an outing to the Grand Place in Kortrijk. He left the orphanage with the twin sisters, but later the nuns reportedly caught him in the chapel of Stella Maris committing “shameful sexual acts” with the children.
An investigation by Humo and Apache found that the incident was reported to Flemish authorities, including the Committee for Special Youth Care (CBJ) in Kortrijk. Three months later, the twins were interviewed, and the investigation reportedly confirmed evidence of sexual violence. Despite this, no criminal case was ever opened.
Walter Van Steenbrugge, a lawyer representing victims of sexual abuse within the Church, stated that the alleged acts are not subject to a statute of limitations and that Vangheluwe could still face prosecution.
Vangheluwe, through his lawyer, denied the accusations.
In March 2024, the late Pope Francis granted a request to dismiss Vangheluwe from the clerical state.
The former bishop resigned in 2010 after admitting to sexually abusing his nephew, who was a minor at the time.
