A good week and a half before the publication of a nationwide study on sexual abuse in the Protestant Church, regional bishop Christian Kopp spoke out against any tolerance for perpetrators. “It pains me deeply that people in the Bavarian regional church and diaconate have suffered and are still suffering from sexual violence,” he said on Monday in Munich. “We will continue to consistently investigate past crimes and punish them as far as possible.” Sexual violence is incompatible with the Christian faith.
It must be addressed that in the Christian churches the protection of officials has always been valued more highly than the protection and support of victims. “We need no tolerance for perpetrators and as much transparency as possible for the people affected,” he said.
On January 25th, the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) wants to present the results of the so-called forum study in Hanover. The EKD commissioned the independent investigation into sexual violence and other forms of abuse at the end of 2020.