Court: Diocese not responsible for abusive priests

Victims of abuse - Court: Diocese not responsible for abusive priests

The Archdiocese of Cologne is likely not going to pay 830,000 Euro in compensation to a woman who was severely sexually abused as a child by a priest. The Cologne Regional Court did not yet make a decision in the case but made it clear that the plaintiff has little chance of success.

The woman is suing for 830,000 Euro compensation for the suffering she endured. She was the former ward of a priest who was sentenced to twelve years in prison in February 2022. The man, as established by the Cologne Regional Court, had sexually abused nine girls in Gummersbach, Wuppertal, and Zülpich between 1993 and 2018. The plaintiff, who was abused as a child, was a victim in the 70s and 80s. The man was subsequently dismissed from the clergy.

Presiding Judge Jörg Michael Bern expressed during a hearing that the church as a body corporate of public law cannot be held liable for the priest's crimes. "There is a separation between official duties and other actions," Bern stated. The fact that the priest was allowed to take in the plaintiff as a ward was a decision made by the Youth Welfare Office. The Youth Welfare Office should have checked whether the priest was suitable to receive custody, according to the judge. A decision in the case is expected on September 17.

1. Despite the Cologne Regional Court's statement, the Archdiocese of Cologne in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, is still contemplating whether to provide compensation for pain and suffering to the woman who was abused by a priest in their Diocese.
2. The Priest, who was dismissed from the clergy and subsequently sentenced to twelve years in prison for sexually abusing nine girls in various cities, had taken the woman as his ward during the 70s and 80s, a decision made by the Youth Welfare Office.
3. The woman, who is now seeking compensation of 830,000 Euro, argues that the Archdiocese, as a body corporate of public law, should be held liable for the priest's crimes, but Presiding Judge Jörg Michael Bern strongly disagrees.
4. In Judge Bern's view, there is a clear separation between the priest's official duties and his other actions, implying that the church can't be held accountable for the misconduct.
5. The Archdiocese of Cologne and the woman's legal team will present their arguments again on September 17, as the Cologne Regional Court continues to weigh the evidence in this complex case.

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