Abuse case in the church district: Lawyer causes excitement and uncertainty!

Abuse case in the church district: Lawyer causes excitement and uncertainty!

In the Siegen-Wittgenstein church district there are serious allegations against a former employee who is repeatedly accused of sexual assaults on young, sometimes underage, students. These incidents, which have spanned several years, are causing a huge outcry in the community and beyond the boundaries of the church district. The public prosecutor's office has discontinued the proceedings in this context, among other things due to the statute of limitations Siegen newspaper reported.

As a result of the seriousness of the allegations, the Westphalian Regional Church commissioned the management consultancy Deloitte to conduct an independent investigation. The results of this study were presented on Tuesday and describe the failure of the Protestant Church to prevent such serious incidents and to react in a timely manner. Superintendent Kerstin Grünert was affected by the findings and the damage suffered to the sexual self-determination of those affected.

On the occasion of the presentation, both the Theological Vice President of the Ev. Church of Westphalia, Dr. Ulf Schlüter, as well as the superintendent herself, were shocked by the suffering that the affected students had suffered. According to the study, the accused was able to exceed necessary boundaries for decades, which the church now admits.

Legal action and anonymity

The topic becomes even more explosive due to a letter from the former employee's law firm, which was received shortly before a synod and caused a stir. Dr. Schlüter described this move as an attempt to influence the superintendent's report and related educational efforts. Kerstin Grünert also confirmed receipt of the letter, but did not reveal any further details. This letter is obviously about the possible violations of the personal rights of the former churchman, who, together with his lawyer, has already taken legal action against personal reports.

Another worrying aspect is Superintendent Grünert's request to the synod to protect the former employee's anonymity. In times when affected people are often in the shadows, it is even more important to be able to develop suggestions and strategies for better prevention.

Prevention and training

In an effort to prevent such incidents in the future, the Protestant Church also publishes preventive measures. Training to prevent sexual violence has been carried out since autumn 2022 - an initiative in which over 3,000 people have already taken part. The commandments for education and the protection of dignity, as set out in the guidelines of the Evangelical Church in Germany are aimed at getting all church bodies and institutions to develop their own protection concepts and to set up reporting points for suspected cases.

What has been stated sends an important signal: The Church wants to respond to the needs of children and young people and ensure their safety. At the same time, the memory of the painful events that overtook the Evangelical Church in Westphalia remains. The responsibility to learn from mistakes and failures is now essential.