An independent report published recently reveals shocking details of sexual abuse within the Protestant Church of Germany. It states that over 1,259 employees of the Church have committed sexual abuse since 1946, and at least 2,225 individuals have fallen victim to this abuse.
The detailed investigation incorporated documents from the 20 regional churches of the Protestant Church of Germany (EKD), as well as Diakonie Germany, the church’s social welfare organization. Approximately 4,300 disciplinary files, 780 personal files, and 1,300 additional documents addressing all employees of the church were analyzed during the investigation, ranging from clergy members to youth leaders.
Significantly, due to the unavailability of many personal files from the regional churches, the authors believe the actual number of abuse cases could be much higher. It’s suggested that the number of perpetrators within the church is at least 3,500, with a third of these being clergy members. Astonishingly, it is projected that over 9,000 children and young adults could have been sexually abused within the EKD since 1946.
Speaking out on the issue, the spokesperson for the victims, Detlev Zander, has motivated for a more uniform system of tracking abuse within the church. It was stressed that discrepancies in counting and recording sexual abuse cases across the regional churches are obstructing investigations.
Following the publication of this report, the Head of the EKD Council, Bishop Kirsten Fehrs, publicly apologized to the victims. It was emphasized that the church takes responsibility for these violent actions committed by its employees and volunteers and acknowledged that this responsibility is ongoing and will never end. The Bishop added that the institution’s objective is to recognize most appropriately the injustice suffered.
In response to these revelations, Diakonie Germany has expressed gratitude for those victims brave enough to share their experiences. Diakonie Germany President, Rüdiger Schuch, confirmed the organization’s commitment to comprehensive scrutiny and, where necessary, making profound changes to the entire practice and culture of their facilities and services.
The report was commissioned by the EKD in 2020, with the aim to scrutinize structural factors contributing to sexual violence within the community. This is the first all-encompassing study into the sexual abuse of children and young adults within the EKD.