As of: February 6, 2024, 3:09 p.m
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Kirsten Fehrs, acting chairwoman of the EKD Council, speaks at a press conference to present a study on abuse in the Protestant church.
© Julian Stratenschulte/dpa
Many victims, many perpetrators: The recently published study on sexual violence shocked the Protestant church.
Diakonia and the church want to deal with the violence - and show self-criticism.
Berlin/Hannover - The Protestant Church, all 20 regional churches and the Diakonie feel obliged to carry out a study on sexual violence.
“Sexualized violence is part of the reality of our church and our diakonia,” says a statement published on Tuesday by the regional churches, the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany and the federal board of Diakonie Germany.
“We take responsibility,” announce those involved.
The results of the forum study revealed decades of failure at all levels and in all regional churches.
Those affected were not heard, acts were not dealt with, perpetrators were protected and responsibility was not accepted.
The investigation into sexual violence in the Evangelical Church in Germany and the Diakonie, presented at the end of January, documented at least 2,225 victims and 1,259 suspected perpetrators over the past decades.
Study leader Martin Wazlawik spoke of the “tip of the tip of the iceberg”.
The number of cases determined in the study is based primarily on disciplinary files.
However, the researchers were unable to evaluate the personal files of all pastors and deacons.
That caused criticism.
According to the statement, the participation forum and researchers will discuss the results and recommendations for the first time in mid-February.
“In the participation forum, in our state synods and locally in the church districts and communities as well as at all levels of the diakonia, we will deal transparently and openly with the results of the forum study and their significance for our church and diakonia,” announced the incumbent EKD- Council Chairwoman Kirsten Fehrs and Diakonie President Rüdiger Schuch.
It is right that representatives of those affected as well as church and diaconal representatives in the participation forum “develop a clear plan of action for the Protestant church and diakonia as a whole,” the statement says.
They are also committed to “uniform standards of prevention and transparency, uniform recognition procedures and a uniform process for further processing sexualized violence”.
Regional, independent commissions are currently being set up in associations of regional churches and regional associations in order to continue dealing with sexual violence in the Protestant church and diakonia.
dpa