Abuse in the diocese of Fulda: 120 affected and a court ruling!

Abuse in the diocese of Fulda: 120 affected and a court ruling!

In Fulda, it becomes clearer why the wounds of the past sit so deeply: a new report on how to deal with sexual violence in the diocese of Fulda comes to light. At least 120 presumably affected have been complained about since 1945, as [katholisch.de reports] (https://www.katholisch.de/artikel/62419- abuse report-fuer-bistum- Fulda-Mind at the latest). The final report of the independent commission was published on Tuesday and causes a sensation. Gerhard Möller, the commission spokesman, emphasizes that the victims were hardly noticed by 2010 and that the officials often remained unpunished.

dealing with the allegations was not exactly exemplary. There was a lot to maintain the reputation of the Church, with accused often treated in indulgence until the turn of the millennium. Transfer of accused were often without clear reasons, which further shook trust in the institution. In many parishes, more support was learned for the accused than for those affected, some of which were even avoided.

painful revelations

The final report is the result of a comprehensive investigation that overall the personnel files over four years since 1945. 2,124 files were viewed, and there was a worrying number of 239 documented sexual assault. Nevertheless, a high number of unreported cases can be expected, which underlines concern about the extent of violence. At least 37 affected people were granted financial compensation, but this is just a drop on the hot stone. Bishop Michael Gerber, who has been in office since 2019, received the report and asked for an excuse for the failure of his diocese.

The report will be commented on in more detail by Gerber on June 26. But the processing is far from complete. The diocese has already launched the first steps to prevent such offenses in the future. The establishment of an independent commission in 2021 is intended to ensure that transparency and independence flow into the processing. Talks with those affected and contemporary witnesses come first.

future prospects

to learn from the past, an open examination of the topics of abuse and cover -up is necessary. The diocese of Fulda acknowledges that there are still many hurdles to get trust back. The measures for prevention and intervention have already been introduced, including training and support in the development of protection concepts. There are now specialized contact persons for those affected who can be contacted directly:

• Stefan Zierau (graduate educator, supervisor, psychotherapist): email: stefanzierau.extern@bistum-fulda.de , phone: 0661/3804443
• Tatjana Junker (intervention officer): E-Mail: intervention@bistum-fulda.de , phone: 0661/87-475
• Birgit Schmidt-Hahnel (prevention officer): E-Mail: praealvention@bistum-fulda.de , phone: 0661/87-519

In addition, there is a website that provides further information on the measures of the diocese of Fulda: www.hinese-handeln-bistum-fulda.de.

Overall, it should be noted that the publication of the report is a painful examination of the past. Since then, the association "Hear those affected", which is part of the Commission, has emphasized how important it is that the voices of those affected are no longer ignored. The teachings from the mistakes of the past must now bring significant changes in order to create a safe environment for all believers in the diocese of Fulda. Other similar reports in other Catholic dioceses show that this is a Europe-wide problem that must be tackled comprehensively, as also addressed [commissioned-meuschm.de] (https://betauftragte-missusche.de/themen/aufort- von-sexueller-chalt/aufung- von-sexuellem--misuse-in-kirchen).