Coming to terms with the abuse: Passau publishes explosive study!

Coming to terms with the abuse: Passau publishes explosive study!

Next Monday, December 11, 2025, the University of Passau will publish a comprehensive study on the subject of abuse in the diocese of Passau. The title of the study is: "Sexual abuse and physical violence. Attacks on minors by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Passau 1945 to 2022". It highlights how many people in the diocese experienced sexual abuse or physical violence at the hands of priests during their childhood or youth. Professor Marc von Knorring emphasizes the aim of this study: those affected should be supported in the fight for recognition and appropriate appreciation, while at the same time a greater awareness of this urgent issue should be created in society. As Antenne Bayern explains, the study was handed over to the Independent Processing Commission, the Diocese's Independent Advisory Board for Affected Persons and Bishop Stefan Oster at the end of November 2022.

Due to the previous MHG study from 2018, which documented thousands of cases of abuse in the Catholic Church in Germany, the dioceses began the scientific analysis and offered those affected various recognition services. While Passau is now undergoing a detailed analysis, other dioceses already have to present results. According to a report in the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Passau was relatively late compared to Munich and Freising, which had already presented a highly acclaimed study three years ago. Dioceses such as Würzburg and Augsburg have also recently published their studies.

Facts and figures about abuse victims

In recent years, the church in Bavaria has made enormous sums available to recognize victims of abuse. A total of 4,326 applications for recognition services have been submitted in the Diocese of Würzburg since 2021. The situation is similar in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, where almost 2.2 million euros have so far been paid to 88 victims of sexual violence. In Augsburg, over 5.4 million euros have been spent on recognition services and therapies since 2010. In response to the study results, dioceses have already taken various measures, including dialogue forums for those affected and the construction of memorials.

Bishop Stefan Oster has announced that the upcoming study will highlight the suffering and injustice suffered by people in the church. There is therefore hope that this work will not only contribute to coming to terms with the situation, but will also create new rays of hope for those affected, who have often suffered for years from the injustice they have suffered. These critical approaches have been taken up in the Catholic Church since the MHG study was published in 2018, whereupon the dioceses not only began to process them, but also developed protection concepts and hired psychologists for seminaries.

Another example of raising awareness of the topic is the number of new reports received in the course of the MHG study in Munich. Since 2022, around 40 new cases that were classified as plausible have been reported there. These developments clearly show that society is required to actively deal with cases of abuse and to create a supportive environment for those affected. What happens next remains to be seen, but Monday's release could be an important step on that path.