Catholic Church paid 9.4 million euros to abuse victims

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Solidarity action with the abuse victims of the Catholic Church in Aschaffenburg

Photo: Nicolas Armer / dpa

The Catholic Church received 1,565 requests for payments for victims of sexual abuse last year.

The Independent Commission for Recognition Benefits (UKA) in Bonn announced that in 606 cases a decision was made on recognition benefits totaling almost 12.9 million euros.

Of these 12.9 million euros, 9.4 million were paid out by the UKA.

The remaining 3.5 million euros had already been paid to those affected in previous proceedings.

The Commission was therefore only able to process a minority of the applications for compensation.

Victims of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church have been able to apply for higher sums since the beginning of 2021 after a new regulation for recognition payments.

The decision of the German bishops from September 2020 provides for financial payments of up to 50,000 euros.

Prioritization of requests

In 47 cases, amounts higher than 50,000 euros were paid out in 2021, said UKA Chairwoman Margarete Reske.

The approval of the respective ecclesiastical institution, which must be granted for this, was given in all cases.

Reske also reported that 128 applications had been prioritized, for example because of the old age or serious illness of the person concerned.

The approved 12.89 million euros mean that an average of 21,270 euros flowed per abuse victim.

With 268 cases, by far the largest group of abuse victims received less than ten thousand euros.

Representatives of abuse victims had criticized the compensation payments as far too low, even after the new regulation by the bishops' conference.

They argue that those affected suffer from the consequences of sexual abuse in their later lives and therefore often suffer disadvantages in their professional careers, with which they also experience financial damage.

Of the cases decided so far, 80 percent are men and 20 percent are women.

The processing of the abuse scandal in the church in Germany revealed that mostly boys were and are victims of sexual abuse.

By February 15, the number of applications had risen to 1,626 cases, and according to the UKA, 729 cases have now been decided – so the commission members were able to close the gap somewhat.

wit/dpa/AFP