Church
“Complete clarification”: EKD council chairwoman under pressure
Annette Kurschus is the chairwoman of the council of the Evangelical Church in Germany – and is currently in need of explanation. photo
© Stefan Puchner/dpa
A former church employee is accused of sexually assaultive behavior in the 1990s. The EKD council chairwoman Kurschus is under pressure: When did she know about the case?
Following allegations of sexually assaultive behavior against a former church employee EKD council chairwoman Annette Kurschus came under pressure. She will make a personal statement on Monday. The EKD announced this.
The Siegen public prosecutor’s office is investigating several suspected cases against the man, who, like Kurschus, previously worked in the Siegen church district. It’s about the question of what she knew and when. According to the current status of the investigation, it is unclear whether he committed criminally relevant behavior, said a public prosecutor’s spokesman for the German Press Agency. So far there is “no indication that physical violence or a threat to life and limb has occurred against a person.”
The “Siegener Zeitung” quoted the statement of two men who claimed to have informed Kurschus “in detail about the allegations of abuse” in the 1990s. According to the newspaper, both had submitted a written statement. On Tuesday at the synod meeting in Ulm, the EKD council chairwoman emphatically rejected “hints and speculations” made by the “Siegener Zeitung” against her. At the beginning of 2023, an anonymous complaint was received against the accused. “I had no prior knowledge of any acts of sexual violence committed by this person,” she emphasized.
Kurschus was a pastor in the Siegen church district in the 1990s. She did not work in the same community as the accused and was not his superior, as a spokesman for the Westphalian regional church office explained in response to a dpa request.
Distancing and demands for clarity are becoming louder
The EKD’s Sexual Violence Participation Forum distanced itself from Kurschus. Those affected and church representatives sit on the committee for dealing with acts of abuse within the EKD and Diakonie. “We are extremely concerned that the presentation of the EKD council chairmen differs from the other people on a crucial issue,” it said. “The current reporting questions Ms. Kurschus’ credibility.” This should not lead to a damage to all of the participation forum’s efforts: “There needs to be clear, complete and independent clarification in this case.”
The committee emphasized: “In principle, the statements of those affected by sexual violence must be believed and these should not be cast into doubt in any way.” Kurschus stated that she supports the investigation by the law enforcement authorities. “It is your responsibility as council chairwoman of the EKD to seriously personally examine any further steps.” When asked by the dpa, spokeswoman Nancy Janz did not want to speak of a demand for resignation. Detlev Zander, also a spokesman for those affected in the participation forum, told the dpa: “Ms. Kurschus is no longer acceptable for those affected.”
What exactly is the accusation against the accused?
According to the public prosecutor’s office, several people have made different allegations against the current pensioner. The incidents were said to have occurred in the 1990s and one in the 1980s, the spokesman said. Three witnesses have not yet been interviewed and this should happen by the end of next week. From a legal point of view, speaking of “sexualized violence” is not correct; so far there has been no evidence of violence or threats.
It is being examined whether the man took advantage of his “somewhat prominent position” at the time to sexually approach young men in his environment. It is unclear whether there have been incidents that could be classified as sexual abuse of those under protection. But: “This offense would be ruled out if the alleged victims were 18 years old at the time of the crime,” explained the spokesman. According to previous findings, everyone was 18 years old at the time of the crime: One was not sure whether he was still 17, but the investigation assumed he was 18.
The “Siegener Zeitung” reported on Friday that there was now evidence of a suspected underage victim in the case. The authority spokesman said he had no information about this. It is possible that this is a witness who has not yet been heard.
What’s next?
There is some excitement and irritation behind the scenes. The president of the synod in Ulm, Anna-Nicole Heinrich, had distanced herself from Kurschus. She told media representatives on Wednesday about the statement they made there: “I didn’t clap myself. And I have to say, I was irritated by the applause.”
Leading figures in the EKD are horrified by Kurschus’ communication strategy, reported the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (Thursday). “Their months of silence and their crisis communication” had cost “trust in the EKD council, in the church office and among the bishops.” According to FAZ information, Kurschus left the EKD committees unaware of the investigation for months and only recently informed the EKD Council and EKD Church Conference.
The canon lawyer Thomas Schüller told the dpa that the case “shows paradigmatically that, in addition to the Catholic Church, high-ranking Protestant clergy such as the EKD Council Chairwoman Annette Kurschus have not dealt with reports of sexualized violence in a legally and humanly appropriate manner in the past until today.” From his point of view, the protection of the institution is “still higher than concern for the victims of sexual violence.” Even if there is still one statement against another, the loss of trust for Kurschus is irreparable. He suspected: “She probably won’t be able to stay in the office of EKD council chairwoman.”
Kurschus came to the Siegen church district in 1989 as a vicar and later worked there as a pastor. From 2005 to 2012 she headed the church district as superintendent. The now 60-year-old has been president of the Westphalian regional church since 2012 and has also been chairwoman of the EKD council since 2021. She did not comment when asked by dpa.