Illegal activities or offenses against the law. - Local church considers potential fresh instances of sexual misconduct.
The Detmold-based Lippe Evangelical Church is scrutinizing unreported incidents of sexual misconduct and will process them through a newly-formed department. After the release of two cases in January, one victim and informants of two other incidents have emerged, announced Regional Superintendent Dietmar Arends during the Lippe Synod on Saturday.
"We're currently focusing on these two instances, and one has been provided to an initial external assessment," Arends stated. Until we formally disclose these cases and their progress, some questions still require clarification, he added. Earlier this year, the Lippe Evangelical Church publicly shared two cases from the 1980s and 1990s.
Early in 2021, scientists revealed a comprehensive study on sexual misconduct in the Evangelical Church. Through the cooperation of the three North Rhine-Westphalia Evangelical Churches in the Rhineland, Westphalia, and Lippe, as well as the Diakonie, the reported cases of abuse in North Rhine-Westphalia exceed 300.
"The revelation that sexual violence has occurred and is ongoing in the Evangelical Church is undoubtedly disheartening. However, the study accuses the church of a systematic institutional failure, in which perpetrators and accused were protected, and victims were silenced," Arends remarked.
To facilitate further actions, the Lippe Evangelical Church has established a "Sexual Violence" department. Additionally, a specialized study day is planned for church pastors, parish workers, and childcare and kindergarten employees, where the focus will be on the study's findings and potential consequences.
The Lippe Evangelical Church claims to be one of the smallest within the Evangelical Church in Germany. Its territorial boundaries parallel those of the Lippe district. North Rhine-Westphalia also encompasses the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland and the Evangelical Church in Westphalia.
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The Lippe Evangelical Church, located in Detmold, North Rhine-Westphalia, is currently investigating additional instances of sexual misconduct within their Regional church. The incident brings the total reported cases of abuse in North Rhine-Westphalia to over 300, according to the study conducted by scientists. The Church's new "Sexual Violence" department aims to address and prevent such crimes, focusing on protecting victims and holding perpetrators accountable.
