Religious institution - Bishop Advocates for Shift in Approach to Sexualized Violence Handling at [Organization Name]
Following calls for resignation from five victims of sexual misconduct, Hanover's regional bishop, Ralf Meister, has announced a shift in approach to handling sexual violence in the church. From now on, he will not deliver sermons or prayers without addressing those who have been victims of such abuse in his congregation. During the state synod in Loccum (Nienburg district) on Friday, he acknowledged the distressing topic of sexual abuse throughout his speeches and lectures outside of the meeting.
Meister refrained from responding to the recent requests for his resignation during his address. In a later conversation with reporters, he confirmed that he is taking the concerns of the victims seriously. However, he argued that the church must make changes gradually, to avoid being thrown into "institutional chaos" from staffing changes.
Earlier in the day, four victims called for Meister's resignation due to his lack of attention to sexual abuse concerns. In an open letter, they insisted that Meister was the only appropriate choice for leaving his position.
Detlev Zander, a representative of sexual abuse victims in the EKD Participation Forum, echoed the call for Meister's resignation. He felt that Meister was no longer suited to lead the necessary clarification and healing process. "I don't think he can do it anymore," stated Zander in an interview with NDR. On the other hand, Nancy Janz, a spokesperson for the victims in the Participation Forum, did not support the resignation request.
Janz emphasized that cultural and systemic changes were more crucial than personnel issues. As she shared her personal story during the event, Janz recounted how she was sexually molested by a pastor when she was 17 years old in Celle. She had dreamed of a family but, instead of receiving the support she needed, she encountered further harm from the church. It was only after she attempted suicide that another pastor finally visited her. When she confided in the wife of the church elder, she was cautioned to stay away from the perpetrator and maintain silence within her congregation. Janz later learned that other young women had been preyed upon by the same man before and after her.
The church authorities ascertained that the perpetrator had not yet become a pastor when he first assaulted Janz in December 1997. He was then an employee of the legally independent Lobetal Work in Celle, a diaconal institution affiliated with the Church of Hanover. The initial process to revoke his ordination, prompted by the accusations, was unsuccessful. However, after a second report of abuse from a minor, another procedure was initiated in 2022, ultimately revoking his status as a pastor. The man has since filed a lawsuit against the church, and the case is still pending in the church administrative court.
