Judge rejects lawsuit for pain and suffering against the Archdiocese of Cologne: outrage!

Judge rejects lawsuit for pain and suffering against the Archdiocese of Cologne: outrage!

In a sensational ruling that was announced on July 2, 2025, the Cologne Regional Court decided that the Archdiocese of Cologne does not have to be liable for the actions of a priest who abused a girl over many years. The plaintiff, who lived with the priest as a foster child, is demanding over 800,000 euros in compensation because she was a victim of sexual violence over the years. However, the court ruled that the acts took place in private and therefore had no legal connection to the priest's ecclesiastical activity. The lawsuit was dismissed, which [Deutschlandfunk](https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/erzbistum-koeln-muss-kein- Painsgeld-zahlen-kritik-von-betrooffeneninitiative-eckiger-tisch-100.html) reports.

The decision, which is not yet legally binding and could possibly be appealed to the Cologne Higher Regional Court, has sparked a broad discussion. The affected people's initiative “Eckiger Tisch” sharply criticized the judge's ruling and described it as a disgrace for the constitutional state. A spokesman for the initiative pointed out that the court's reasoning called into question the responsibility of the cleric, who was given custody of the girl only because of his position as a priest. Here a clear discrepancy becomes clear between the social responsibility of the church and the legal assessment by the court.

Criticism of the judgment

Another aspect of the ruling is causing excitement. Katsch, a representative of the initiative, expressed displeasure with the court's interpretation, which he said reveals a fundamental misunderstanding about the Catholic Church and the priesthood. While the court emphasizes that there is no close connection between the criminal act and the priest's ministry, the question remains as to how this separation can be justified in the case of such serious offenses. The court spokeswoman defended the decision and pointed out that the court had ruled in accordance with applicable law, which was discussed in detail by Spiegel.

Case law in Germany is often inconsistent when it comes to assessing the liability of institutions for the actions of their members. This particular ruling reflects the difficulty of creating a clear legal framework that both does justice to victims of abuse and protects institutions. There are fundamental questions about how responsibility and accountability can be drawn in cases of sexual violence in church environments.

Social context and further research

The explosiveness of this topic is reinforced by the results of the ForuM study on abuse in the Protestant church and diakonia. The study identified at least 2,225 affected people and 1,259 accused, including 511 parish priests, and shows that the handling of cases of abuse also needs to be improved in other church institutions. In particular, deficiencies in the processing and support of victims were criticized, which indicates that abuse is not just a problem of the Catholic Church, but raises far-reaching systematic questions. The Evangelische Zeitung highlights that many acts were planned and often directed against young people under the age of 14.

In the debate about church responsibility, it is essential to have the courage to question the structures and give those affected a voice. Without an honest and comprehensive investigation, it will hardly be possible to regain trust and prevent future attacks. The social discussion about these topics is more important than ever, and it will be exciting to see how the legal framework will develop.