Church - Rhenish Church wants to come to terms with cases of abuse
The Protestant Church in the Rhineland wants to consistently deal with cases of sexual abuse. People have "a right to expect us to clear up cases of sexualized violence", said President Thorsten Latzel in Düsseldorf on Thursday. "We must consistently investigate and prevent".
The central reporting office of the Rhenish Church had received 87 reports in around two and a half years, said Vice-President Christoph Pistorius. "These reports show that the sensitivity is different and that the system works." There has also been a "decent wave" in the reporting of old cases. Occasionally, new reports of current incidents are also added. However, not every report is "immediately a case", said Pistorius." A Germany-wide study on sexual abuse in the Protestant Church is to be published on January 25.
According to Pistorius, the resignation of Annette Kurschus, Chair of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), has not had any effect on reporting behavior. Kurschus resigned as EKD Council Chairwoman and President of the Regional Church of Westphalia on November 20. The background to this were allegations made in a newspaper report that she had known many years ago of suspected sexual assault against a former church employee in the Siegen church district.
President Latzel once again expressed his respect for Kurschus for her "profound step". She had put education above her own professional career. Her example shows the "consistent will to come to terms with the past within the Protestant Church and also the willingness of people to stand up for it, even if it costs them their own job".
With more than 2.2 million members, the Rhenish Church is the second largest Protestant regional church in Germany.
Information on the state synod
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- The abuse case involving a former church employee in the Siegen church district was reported in a newspaper, which led to allegations against Annette Kurschus, the Chair of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) from the Rhineland-Palatinate region.
- The abuse case mentioned above took place in the North Rhine-Westphalia region, which shares a border with Rhineland-Palatinate and is also home to several Protestant churches.
- The Catholic Church in Saarland, a neighboring German state, has also been dealing with cases of abuse in recent years, highlighting the prevalence of such issues across various religious organizations in the country.
- With the EKD headed by Kurschus, the Protestant Church in Germany is currently under scrutiny for its response to cases of abuse, and the Church in the Rhineland is working diligently to address this issue, as well.
- Despite the resignation of Annette Kurschus following the abuse case, the Protestant Church in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia remains committed to investigating and preventing criminality related to sexual abuse within its ranks.
- The recent focus on abuse cases in Protestant churches in Rhineland, North Rhine-Westphalia, and other German states has sparked calls for increased transparency and accountability from both church leaders and parishioners alike.
Source: www.stern.de
