Archbishop of Hamburg Stefan Hesse offered to resign Friday after allegations that he mishandled sexual abuse cases appeared in a lengthy report on abuse in the Archdiocese of Cologne. Professor Bjorn Gercke, who compiled the 800-page study, said it identifies more than 200 perpetrators and more than 300 victims of abuse from 1975 to 2018.

In a statement, Hesse commended Gercke for compiling the report and said it has allowed him to see his own actions in a new light. Hesse reflected:

I have always acted to the best of my knowledge and belief in my various responsibilities in solving sexual violence in the Church. I accepted this difficult task out of the conviction that we as an institution and I as a person have a duty to make those affected heard, to hold the perpetrators accountable and to break down the systemic causes of sexual abuse.

Hesse asked Pope Francis to release him from his position in order to protect the integrity of the Archdiocese of Hamburg. Archbishop of Cologne Rainer Maria Woelki, who commissioned the report, acknowledged that more work must be done to bring justice to victims of sexual abuse in the church. Based on information in the report, Woelki immediately released Auxiliary Bishop Dr. Dominikus Schwaderlapp and Official Dr. Günter Assenmacher from duty.

According the Archdiocese of Cologne, interested parties can view the report in person from March 25, 2021, to April 1, 2021. Registered viewers will have up to an hour and a half to read the document, which cannot be downloaded or viewed virtually.