Munich (dpa / lby) - With regard to cases of abuse in the church, Bavaria's Minister of Justice Georg Eisenreich has spoken out in favor of higher compensation payments and the establishment of an ombudsman for those affected. "I think it would be helpful if there was a body that was independent and provided more support for those affected," said the CSU politician on Thursday in the state parliament's legal committee.
Although he is not responsible for such a position in his department, it is important to him that the necessary personal, psychological and legal support for those affected is guaranteed. "I think there's still room for improvement here." He also believes that "higher compensation figures are appropriate" for victims of sexual abuse. Ultimately, however, this assessment rests with the courts.
"The abuse scandal is shaking our society," said Eisenreich in the committee. "Clergymen have abused their position of trust and committed crimes. That is inexcusable." He appealed to those affected to file a complaint. This is the only way to prosecute and, if necessary, to a conviction.
On Thursday, the Greens again spoke out in favor of dealing with the omissions of the past few years. "We demand that you start investigating the misconduct of the state government and the public prosecutor's office over the last few decades," said MP Toni Schuberl.
They also criticized the fact that an expert report from 2010 with over 200 proven cases of sexualized violence against children and young people was only requested nine years later. Eisenreich admitted that the criticism was justified at this point. The cases have now all been examined by the public prosecutor. Some of the suspects have died in the meantime, but in no case has the crime been statute-barred due to the delay.
Earlier this year, the Justice Department issued several reports of sexual abuse in the church. Most recently, a survey by the public prosecutor's office in August revealed that 30 convictions in connection with sexual abuse in the church had been pronounced in the Free State in the past ten years. The results also showed how little relevance church studies have for the prosecution of the perpetrators, Eisenreich emphasized again on Thursday. In practice, penalties result primarily from complaints by the injured party.
