Pastor condemned: scandal about sexual abuse in Eppertshausen!

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An 83-year-old pastor from Eppertshausen was convicted of child abuse after incidents from the 1990s became known.
An 83-year-old pastor from Eppertshausen was convicted of child abuse after incidents from the 1990s became known. (Symbolbild/ANAG)

An 83-year-old Catholic pastor from Eppertshausen was convicted of sexual abuse of a boy at the time. The Dieburg district court spoke the judgment on January 21, 2025. The incident that occurred in the parental apartment of the injured party at the end of 1997 at the latest on the affected municipality, which expresses itself with great unbelief, as many members were convinced of the pastor's innocence.

The judge found in her judgment that the pastor had touched the boy in a firm clasp, which led to severe pain. The injured party initially had no public allegations for fear of exclusion. Only a report on abuse in the diocese of Mainz in 2023 led to the police.

Legal challenges and church consequences

Although the crime is statute -barred under German criminal law, canon law does not provide for any statute of limitations. This means that a church procedure continues against the pastor. According to the diocese, he must not live in Eppertshausen and also no longer perform pastoral and pastoral activities. Primavera24.de explains that This is not the first against the pastor, Since previously investigations had already taken place in the 1970s, which have been statute -barred.

The public prosecutor also reported on the presumption of innocence to clarify the facts, which applies to a possible conviction. The incident refers to a period of time in the late nineties and also throws shadows on the developments in Germany's sexual criminal law. The legal regulations have intensified in recent years to protect children against sexualized violence. Anwalt.de explains that the sexual abuse of children according to § 176 StGB Physical contact is punishable.

social effects

The consequences of the incident are serious for the injured party. He reported that he got into a family isolation through abuse, which underlines the scope of the event. The community, which was strongly shaped by the pastor's personality, is now faced with the challenge of processing the incident and the subsequent conviction.

In summary, the case not only shows the critical points of church and state handling of sexual abuse, but also the pressing need to ensure a safe environment for children and to stand up to them. While the legal steps continue, the debate about the protection of children and the responsibility of the institutions continues.

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