Abuse - Lawsuits against diocese: one settlement, two cases dismissed
The Diocese of Aachen reached a settlement in a damages lawsuit with a victim of abuse. A 71-year-old man will receive €100,000 in damages for long-term abuse during his time as an altar server, the presiding judge of the 12th Civil Chamber of the Aachen Regional Court announced in a hearing today. The amount corresponds to the settlement proposal the court presented to the parties in mid-May.
The plaintiff had originally demanded €180,000 in damages. He had already received €10,000 from the Independent Commission for Compensation (UKA) of the German Bishops' Conference.
The court also dismissed two other lawsuits against the Diocese. The plaintiffs in these cases had already received money from the UKA. The judgments are not legally binding.
Case considered statute-barred
In the case of a 60-year-old man, the claim failed due to the statute of limitations, the court ruled. The man had demanded €600,000 in damages for sexual abuse and rape by two priests during his time as an altar server.
In the third case, the plaintiff, a man approximately 50 years old, stated that he had been raped by a vocational school teacher during a private tutoring session when he was 17. In this case, the court saw the Diocese as not legally responsible. The perpetrator was a teacher paid by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and also a chaplain.
The damaging actions did not occur in a sufficiently close connection with his ecclesiastical activity. According to the Chamber, the state bears responsibility for public education. Therefore, in this case, there was no longer a question of a possible statute of limitations expiring. A damages claim of €325,000 had been made in this case.
- Despite the Diocese of Aachen's proposed settlement of €100,000 for long-term abuse, the plaintiff had initially demanded twice as much compensation for pain and suffering.
- The amount of compensation in the Aachen damages lawsuit serves as a point of comparison for other dioceses facing similar lawsuits in North Rhine-Westphalia.
- The proposed settlement in the Aachen case was met with approval from the 12th Civil Chamber of the Aachen Regional Court, following their presentation of the amount mid-May.
- The Diocese of Aachen has faced several lawsuits related to abuse, with two previously dismissed due to the plaintiffs receiving compensation from the Independent Commission for Compensation (UKA) of the German Bishops' Conference.
- The upcoming court processes will be closely watched, as they may set a new precedent for the handling of abuse cases and their compensation in the Catholic Church in North Rhine-Westphalia.
