in Hanover - Forum for Victims of Abuse in Evangelical Church
For the first time, victims of sexualized violence in the evangelical church and the Diakonie in Lower Saxony and Bremen come together for a joint forum. The event, organized by the Independent Regional Commission for Processing (URAK), will take place at the upcoming Saturday in Hannover. The organizer, Ute Dorczok, expects 20 to 30 attendees. "In Hamburg, there were ten to twelve, in Dortmund there were sixty participants," Dorczok noted in reference to parallel events in neighboring federal states. Participants should be undisturbed and in a protected space: Neither church or Diakonie press spokespersons nor reporters are allowed at the event. An external moderation and a so-called Awareness Team will accompany the meeting. "Perhaps more victims will come in the future if the forum becomes known," Dorczok added.
Exchange and Networking
This first meeting, according to Dorczok, serves for the networking and exchange of victims who have experienced sexualized violence in a church context. Contacts to representatives of the church and Diakonie should also be established. Additionally, participants will receive information about the URAK's setup. Victims can also continue to work there.
The tasks of the URAK include, among other things, the quantitative collection of cases of sexualized violence to recognize the extent in the regional churches and diaconal associations. Structures should also be identified that enable, promote, and hinder clarification.
Criticism from Victims towards the Landeskirche
In the Hanoverian Church, criticism from victims had recently been voiced against Bishop Ralf Meister, who does not take the issue of sexualized violence seriously. Four victims had demanded his resignation before the start of the Church Synod in June. Meister had then announced a cultural change in his church regarding the handling of sexualized violence.
In Germany, nine Independent Regional Commissions for Processing have been founded. In these commissions, experts from science, justice and administration, victims, and representatives of the church and Diakonie are to work together.
The Evangelical Church in Germany and the Diakonie agreed at the end of the previous year with the Independent Commissioner of the Federal Government for Questions of Sexual Child Abuse (UBSKM), Kerstin Claus, on binding standards and criteria for processing sexualized violence.
- Despite the misuse of power in some church and Diakonie institutions in Lower Saxony and Bremen, participants in the forum in Hannover believe in the potential for positive change.
- The event in Hannover, organized by Ute Dorczok, aims to foster collaboration between victims of sexualized violence in churches and Diakonie centers in Dortmund, Hamburg, and other German cities.
- Critics argue that the Church in Hanover, specifically Bishop Ralf Meister, has not adequately addressed the issue of sexualized violence, leading to calls for his resignation.
- The Misuse of Power Commission for Processing (URAK) in Lower Saxony and Bremen has identified various church and diaconal structures that either hinder or enable the clarification of sexualized violence incidents.
- The Diakonie in Lower Saxony and Bremen, along with other regional churches, has agreed to adhere to the binding standards and criteria set forth by the Independent Commissioner for Questions of Sexual Child Abuse in Germany.
- The forum in Hannover not only provides a protected space for victims to share their experiences and network but also aims to raise awareness about the prevalence of sexualized violence within churches and Diakonie organizations in Germany.
