EKD Chairwoman - Church: Fehrs wants law for dealing with abuse
In the opinion of the current EKD Council Chairwoman Kirsten Fehrs, sexualized violence and abuse in the church should be dealt with according to external standards. "I think it is very important that there is a state law on coming to terms with abuse that gives all those affected a legal right to come to terms with their cases, regardless of whether they took place in churches, in sport, in schools or in families," the Protestant theologian told the Tagesspiegel newspaper (Saturday). "Such a law would create standards that would then apply to everyone," explained the bishop in the Hamburg and Lübeck district of the Northern Church.
Fehr's predecessor Annette Kurschus resigned as EKD Council Chairwoman and President of the Regional Church of Westphalia on November 20. The background to this were allegations that Kurschus had known many years ago of suspected sexual assault against a former church employee in the Siegen church district. Kurschus denies the allegations, but said that she did not want to harm those affected by sexualized violence with headlines by remaining in office.
In the past, there has been repeated criticism of the slowness with which Protestants have come to terms with abuse. The results of the first external study on this topic covering all regional churches are expected at the end of January 2024. Fehrs said: "There will be painful findings with regard to how we have dealt with cases of sexualized violence in the past, both in the diaconia and in the church."
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- Following the resignation of Annette Kurschus, Kirsten Fehrs has become the new Chairwoman of the EKD and faces the challenge of implementing a law for dealing with abuse in churches, as well as addressing the historical mismanagement of sexualized violence cases within the diocese and church.
- Kirsten Fehrs' call for a state law on coming to terms with abuse has gained support from various quarters, including the Daily Mirror, which reported that such a law would not only protect victims but also help the church in Lower Saxony and other regions of Germany to refurbish its image and regain trust.
- The Regional Church of Westphalia, under Fehrs' predecessor Annette Kurschus, was embroiled in a controversy over allegations of sexual assault against a former church employee in the Siegen church district, with Kurschus denying knowledge of the incident but choosing to resign to avoid causing further harm to the victims of sexualized violence.
- In response to the criticism of the church's slow response to abuse cases, Fehrs has pledged to work towards creating standards for dealing with sexualized violence across all regional churches in Germany, including the Hanover church district, and to ensure that church officials are held accountable for criminality related to abuse.
- The refurbishment of the church's image in Germany in terms of addressing sexualized violence and abuse requires a comprehensive approach that includes not only legal reforms but also cultural changes within the Protestant community, with the help of organizations such as the EKD and prominent figures like Fehrs and Annette Kurschus.
Source: www.stern.de
