Enlarge image
The chairman of the Central Council of Jews, Josef Schuster: an independent investigation "is imperative"
Photo: Maja Hitij / Getty Images
The allegations of sexualized harassment and abuse of power at the Abraham Geiger College in Potsdam want to have the Central Council of Jews independently examined.
According to the Central Council, a law firm is to be commissioned to conduct an investigation.
"An unreserved, complete and completely independent investigation and clarification of the allegations in the room is imperative," said the President of the Central Council, Josef Schuster.
At the institute, a lecturer - the husband of the rector - is said to have sent a student a pornographic video in 2019.
The newspaper "Die Welt" was the first to report on the allegations at the Potsdam rabbinical training center last week.
The rector of the college, Walter Homolka, had announced after the report that his offices would be suspended for the time being.
The allegations at the training center for liberal rabbis are "profound", the Central Council further reports.
They would have triggered "misunderstanding, horror and shocked reactions" inside and outside the Jewish community.
"Under no circumstances look away"
Since the allegations became known, intensive discussions have been held on how cases of sexualized harassment and abuse of power can be investigated and ruled out.
All the institutions involved agree that “under no circumstances should such allegations be ignored”.
The results of the investigation should be published in an anonymous form, it is said.
It is not only about a criminal law dimension of the acts, but also about the moral behavior of employees in Jewish institutions, as well as the protection and rights of those affected.
has/AFP