The Evangelical Church in Germany has published the results of the independent study it commissioned in 2020 to investigate cases of sexual abuse within the organization.
According to the data collected, there have been more than 2,000 sexual assaults committed by more than 1,200 members of the church since 1946. More than half of the victims are boys around 11 years old.
As for the perpetrators, two-thirds were married since, unlike the Catholic Church, celibacy is not mandatory. In addition, women can also hold the position of pastor.
Investigators have pointed out that this is only the “tip of the iceberg,” since they estimate that the real number of cases of sexual abuse of minors could be more than 9,000—a figure much higher than expected.
For her part, the president of the Council of the Evangelical Church has asked for forgiveness and insists the facts will be clarified. She also expressed her shock but said she was not “astonished,” since, she said quote “there are internal structures that protect the perpetrators.”
In November, the previous president of the Council resigned for allegedly covering up sexual abuse in the 1990s.
In Germany, 40% of the population is atheist, 29% is Catholic and 24% are Protestant. In particular, the Evangelical Church is the largest Protestant organization in the country.
CA
TR: KG
