Former pope Benedict admits making false claim to child sexual abuse inquiry

Ex-pontiff blames editorial oversight' for previous statement he was absent from 1980 meeting over suspected paedophile priest

The former pope Benedict XVI has admitted providing false information to a German inquiry into clerical sexual abuse.

Benedict, who resigned as the global leader of the Roman Catholic church in 2013, said on Monday that he had attended a meeting with local church officials in 1980 to discuss a suspected paedophile priest. He blamed a previous written statement to German investigators - in which he said he was absent from the meeting - on an editorial error.