Commission calls for better access to files for victims of abuse

According to the "Independent Commission for the Study of Sexual Abuse", those affected in the diocese of Trier must have easier access to the files of the diocese. According to the first interim report presented on Thursday by the commission, which has been working for a good year, they must be granted access to the documents relating to them using a “more transparent and less complex procedure”. In addition, the diocese must regularly inform those affected about the status of the church investigations.

The aim of the commission is to examine the cases of sexual abuse since 1946 from the perspective of various disciplines. To do this, she combs through the files and talks to those affected, those accused, diocese employees and those responsible. Your work is scheduled for six years.

According to figures that the diocese had collected so far, a total of 513 people affected were identified by name or anonymously for the period 1946 to 2021. According to the information, 162 are women and 311 men. There is no information about 40 of those affected. 193 men and two women were recorded as accused or convicted perpetrators. The Commission expects these numbers to increase further in the course of a study commissioned by a foundation set up on their initiative at the University of Trier.

In the interim report, cases of two clerics are documented as examples. These once again clearly show how the diocese leadership tries to regulate cases of sexual abuse internally and to hide them from the public and law enforcement authorities, it said. They also showed that the diocese of Trier should be understood as part of a universal church in which "until recently, the cover-up of sexual abuse was the order of the day". The perpetrators worked as clergymen in Germany, Austria, Spain and South America in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.

The Commission emphasized its independence. However, it is evident that those affected and parts of the public doubted independent work. This is also due to the fact that the commission members are appointed by the local bishop.

The Commission sees the doubts about independence as evidence of the general loss of credibility of the Catholic Church. It must therefore be considered whether the Federal Government Commissioner against Child Sexual Abuse should be included in the Commission's appeal.

The chairman, the former Rhineland-Palatinate Minister of Justice Gerhard Robbers (SPD), emphasized that the commission would not publish the name of a person affected against their will. According to the interim report, several detailed – sometimes very controversial – discussions were held with the organization concerned, MissBit. The Commission is trying to intensify the cooperation.

By mid-October, the committee intends to present a study on abuse in the era of Trier Bishop Bernhard Stein (1967-1980). The further procedure of the commission is still unclear, said the historian Raphael. After the Stein era, other periods should be studied, the historian said.