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A beam of light falls on a cross in a church.
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For the first time, scientists are presenting a nationwide study on sexual violence in the Protestant church.
There are also numerous cases in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Church representatives and child rights activists are shocked.
Düsseldorf - Numerous cases of abuse were also recorded in the NRW state churches for the study presented on Thursday on sexual violence in the Evangelical Church.
They add up to more than 300 cases, some of which have already been paid recognition payments.
This emerges from information from the three NRW regional churches in Rhineland, Westphalia and Lippe and the Diakonie, which reported their data to the scientists for the study.
The study itself does not differentiate between regional churches.
Church representatives and child advocates were shocked and at the same time praised the study.
The suffering of those affected and the institutional failure of the church are shocking, said the president of the Protestant Church in the Rhineland, Thorsten Latzel.
The theological vice president of the Westphalian regional church, Ulf Schlüter, praised the study as unsparing and therefore helpful.
Now it's about checking the protection and prevention concepts and adjusting them if necessary, said the vice president of the Rhenish regional church, Christoph Pistorius.
Carsten Montag, board member of Kindernothilfe, spoke of “alarming numbers”.
The church must take responsibility “and create a place where all members, large and small, are protected and secure.”
The study documents at least 1,259 accused and 2,225 affected people across Germany over the past decades.
The independent scientists expressly refer to their results as the “tip of the iceberg”.
According to the Rhenish regional church, 70 suspected cases have been known in their area since 1946.
Recognition payments have already been made in 29 cases.
In a statement on Thursday, the Westphalian regional church spoke of 110 accused from its area and 251 affected people in the period from 1946 to 2020.
The small Lippe regional church recently announced that it was investigating two cases of allegations of abuse from the 1970s to the 1990s.
According to the information, there are also a further 131 cases in the diakonia of the three regional churches, for which a total of almost two million euros in financial benefits have already been paid.
Some of these cases go back a long time, such as cases of abuse in homes in the 1950s and after, said the spokesman for the Rhenish regional church.
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The EKD initiated the study in 2020.
The aim was to analyze Protestant structures that promote violence and abuse of power.
The scientists were not able to evaluate the personal files of all pastors and deacons, but primarily disciplinary files.
The study was financed with 3.6 million euros.
As an umbrella organization of 20 regional churches, the EKD represents 19.2 million Protestant Christians nationwide.
Those affected by sexual violence can currently apply for individual voluntary benefits.
According to the EKD, these are based on compensation for pain and suffering and are usually between 5,000 and 50,000 euros.
By the end of 2022, the regional churches of the EKD had reported 858 applications for such recognition services.
The study looked at everyone involved in Protestant life, including home educators, church musicians and volunteer youth leaders.
It is expected that other affected people will come forward.
dpa