In order to examine the extent and causes of sexual violence against children and young people, the Catholic Church commissioned a scientific study five years ago. The process is not complete.
Autumn general meeting of the German bishops in Fulda 2018: The bishops’ conference moved to a larger hall specifically for the press conference. The presentation of the investigation into “sexual abuse of minors” in the Catholic Church attracted attention far beyond Germany. And Cardinal Reinhard Marx, then chairman of the bishops’ conference, was convinced: “This is an important day for the Catholic Church in Germany.”
1,670 potential perpetrators
The researchers examined 38,000 personal files of clergy from 1946 to 2014. They identified 3,677 children and young people who were affected by sexual violence and 1,670 potential perpetrators – priests, deacons, members of religious orders.
At that time, Marx apologized to those affected “for all their failures and for all their pain.” “And I do it personally too.” A look into the abyss – especially since this finding is only the “tip of the iceberg,” according to the researchers.
“Honest reappraisal”?
“We are still at the tip of the iceberg,” says Harald Dressing five years later. The psychiatrist coordinated the investigation from several institutes at the time and made it clear that the figures determined by no means provide a complete picture. The “dark field” would have to be illuminated. This is cumbersome because you have to carry out complex surveys. Neither politics nor the church have caused this to happen to this day.
Dressing also calls for a “truth commission,” an independent investigation into sexual violence in the Catholic Church. This is currently taking place in review commissions in the dioceses. “Honest processing” must be placed “in independent hands”. But the Catholic Church is still far from that.
“You think you have to do it yourself,” says Dressing. “And that ultimately leads to more and more trust and credibility being lost. At least in my opinion, and I also hear that from many of those affected.”
More rights for those affected
The assessment of the federal government’s independent abuse commissioner, Kerstin Claus, is less critical. She describes the study as a “milestone” because it “provided figures for a section for the first time”. Claus attests to the Catholic Church that there is now more quality in the area of prevention regulations. The study led to sexual violence no longer being negated.
Claus sees a need for action particularly when it comes to the rights of those affected. They should be given access to the files. The church needs to “take a closer look” when it comes to coming to terms with it.
Johannes Norpoth, spokesman for the Advisory Board for those affected at the German Bishops’ Conference, believes that “a lot has happened” in the past five years. But the bishops’ conference needs to make improvements at one point: “namely the question of recognizing suffering.” There is still much more to be done here.
For the first time a cardinal in focus
When it comes to compensation, the church bases its compensation on state compensation tables. This can be between 5,000 and 50,000 euros. A court recently awarded a person affected 300,000 euros. That means: The Catholic Church will probably have to adjust its services upwards.
Norpoth is convinced that the Catholic Church will have to deal with sexualized violence for a long time to come. The more people affected come forward, the clearer the picture becomes. “And we’re actually only at the beginning, not at the end. That’s why it will take many years.”
Shortly before the German bishops meet in Wiesbaden for their autumn meeting today, it became known: For the first time, a cardinal is also considered a suspected perpetrator. Bishop Franz Hengsbach, who died in 1991, is accused of sexual violence against a 16-year-old. He is also accused of another attack on a woman. Some of the allegations had been known internally for a long time.