Mindestens 2.225 Kinder und Jugendliche sind seit 1946 in Deutschland von Priesterinnen und Priestern oder anderen Mitarbeitenden der Evangelischen Kirche in Deutschland sexuell missbraucht worden.

Mindestens 2.225 Kinder und Jugendliche sind seit 1946 in Deutschland von Priesterinnen und Priestern oder anderen Mitarbeitenden der Evangelischen Kirche in Deutschland sexuell missbraucht worden.  Federalism in the Evangelical Church opens the door to sexual abuse.

Start with what Pearl S. Buckel wrote! “You can’t force yourself to feel something you don’t feel, but you can force yourself to do good regardless of what you feel.” Why have there been hardly any criminal proceedings against clergy so far? Secular law applies to Catholic clergy just like any other citizen. But many of the cases of abuse that have now become known have expired - also because the church used its power to protect priests from prosecution. The victims of this cannot deny abuse, sexual abuse, rape, forced labor, punishment, etc., ask themselves, is this an understanding of justice? What penalties are there under canon law? Canon law is not a replacement for state law, but rather an addition. The secular justice system can impose prison sentences if guilt is proven. The maximum penalty in canon law for priests is dismissal from the clergy. There are no prison sentences. Ecclesiastical trials also differ greatly from secular trials in other respects. They are not public, the victim of the alleged crimes is not the person affected by sexual violence, but the church. Those affected do not have the right to appear as co-plaintiffs. Why does the secular legal system often not take action when it comes to sexual abuse in the church? Secular law applies to priests just as it does to other people – actually. In many cases, however, the dioceses managed to keep the law enforcement authorities out of it. There were no house searches in episcopal premises until 2023. Those affected and their families were systematically discouraged from reporting the crime, including with threats and hush money. Proceedings were delayed until the statute of limitations could be invoked. Systematic cover-up of crimes Despite the systematic cover-up, there were certainly court judgments against priests. However, as the reports show, bishops have also reinstated legally convicted perpetrators in pastoral care without informing the congregation about the punishment. Transferring to other communities was a long-standing practice. Personally, you then ask yourself, what can a normal person do about it? Because the churches also have a great influence on politics and the media, no statements in the CDU or CSU, these political parties never believe the church's credibility! The victims or witnesses of the church's perversities regarding abuse of any form receive nothing, not even an appreciation, no, everything is cast into doubt! Priests abuse believers, the church covers it up: sexual abuse by clergy has been causing scandals for centuries. This has nothing to do with the freedom of movement in society. But with canon law, which is blind to the victims of the deeds. Crime scenes and opportunity structures in the Protestant church Those affected who have experienced abuse in the Protestant church and contacted the commission name the community, the home and the parish family as crime scenes. In addition, those affected describe opportunity structures in the Protestant church that have facilitated sexual violence against children and young people. One factor that has promoted sexual violence against children and young people is the institution's self-image of an open and liberal church, which, however, prevented those affected from revealing themselves. With reference to the so-called pastoral secrecy, clergy did not pass on information about sexual violence, even if they were released from their duty of confidentiality. However, it is beautifully said and also written: the conversations with those affected were and are very personal - the commission deals intensively with each case. After a sensitive plausibility check, the following applies: in dubio per affected person. We are the better church, our hierarchies are not as rigid as in the Catholic Church, we have no celibacy: This is the self-image that many people in the Protestant Church carry. And because people believe they are on the good, progressive side, quite a few people bask in the assumption that sexual violence is primarily a problem for others. The Protestant church is simply “less susceptible to abuse,” claimed former EKD council chairman Wolfgang Huber in an interview in 2018. At least 2,225 children and young people have experienced sexual assault and even rape in the Protestant church and in diaconal institutions since 1946. So far, there are 1,259 perpetrators, including 511 pastors, many of whom are serial offenders. The children affected were mostly under 14 years old; there were more boys than girls in the diaconal institutions It's the girls who suffer more in church. It would be great for the many children and young people in Protestant kindergartens, in confirmation groups, in choirs and on summer camps that this study would finally trigger the necessary culture shock. Because that's obviously what's needed for the mentality to change. Reveal the “tip of the iceberg”. Many victims of abuse are not yet known. 84 people recently contacted him alone who had not yet contacted the Evangelical Church! Subjectively we contacted the EVK-Diakonie ourselves, but if we are honest, apart from pity, we regret what happened, deeply, very deeply, the Calaffende wound, that is the pastoral care of the Evangelical Church, with all the students who are judging today! And "victims" die every day for decades to receive a gesture of compensation, but one thinks with: "We very much regret the events", is it done?? God protected all those who did not entrust their children and young people to the Evangelical Church between 1945-1980, "Amen"! Kind regards, Nikita Noemi Rothenbächer