North Rhine-Westphalia: More inquiries at NRW sect advice

Essen (dpa/lnw) - In the current crisis environment of Corona, the Ukraine war and climate change, the number of inquiries to the NRW cult advisory service is increasing.

North Rhine-Westphalia: More inquiries at NRW sect advice

Essen (dpa/lnw) - In the current crisis environment of Corona, the Ukraine war and climate change, the number of inquiries to the NRW cult advisory service is increasing. "Supposed shamans, dubious coaching and aggressive conspiracy theorists are becoming more popular," Sabine Riede, head of the NRW sect info association funded by the NRW family ministry, told dpa.

As early as 2021, the number of consultation cases and inquiries had risen from 1,078 in the previous year to 1,352, said Riede. In the current year the number of inquiries is tending to increase and at the same time the scene of esoteric and sect-like offers is becoming more and more colorful and differentiated.

"Sekten-Info NRW" with currently five consultants is working at the breaking point. "We urgently need to increase the staff, the cases are becoming more and more numerous," said the head of the counseling center. The current situation is at the expense of prevention - information events with school classes, for example, are hardly possible.