EKD Council Chairwoman under pressure - resignation suggested
Annette Kurschus, Chair of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), who has come under pressure, wants to make a personal statement today. Accusations had been made against her that she had known many years ago of suspected sexually abusive behavior by a former church employee. At the synod in Ulm just under a week ago, Kurschus emphatically rejected such "insinuations and speculation".
Criticism of the EKD chairwoman, who represents 20 million Protestant Christians, had grown in recent days. There have been public distancing and voices suggesting that she should resign. Kurschus has also been President of the Westphalian regional church since 2012. She will make a statement in Bielefeld this morning, in particular on the allegations against her personally, the regional church office announced.
The investigations are ongoing
The Siegen public prosecutor's office is investigating several suspected cases against a former church employee who, like Kurschus, worked in the Siegen church district in the 1990s. According to the public prosecutor's office, it is still unclear whether the man - who has since retired - has engaged in any criminally relevant conduct. So far, there are "no indications that physical violence or a threat to life and limb against a person" has occurred, they said on Friday. The investigation is still ongoing.
The Siegener Zeitung newspaper had quoted the testimony of two men who claimed to have "informed Kurschus in detail about the abuse allegations" in the 1990s. At the synod, the EKD Council Chairwoman denied this. At the beginning of 2023, an anonymous complaint was received against the accused. "Before that, I had no knowledge of acts of sexualized violence by this person," she emphasized. She promised that the entire case would be investigated independently.
The case involving the highest representative of the Protestant Church and head of the Westphalian regional churches had stirred up many people. The EKD Council had met several times in the past few days with and without Kurschus (60). The Sexualized Violence Participation Forum, which includes victims and church representatives, had called for a full investigation.
In light of the ongoing investigation, the Siegen public prosecutor's office is examining several suspected cases involving a former church employee who worked under Annette Kurschus in the 1990s. Despite these investigations, there are currently no indications of any physically violent or life-threatening actions by the individual.
Amidst her leadership role, Annette Kurschus, the Chair of the EKD, is facing criticism from the public and calls for her resignation due to allegations of knowing about suspected sexually abusive behavior by this former employee.
Source: www.dpa.com
