Court ruling today: Fesselmann's struggle for justice after abuse!

Court ruling today: Fesselmann's struggle for justice after abuse!

This day, April 25, 2025, there is a significant judgment in the case hall in Essen in the case of Wilfried Fesselmann. The 56-year-old man from Gelsenkirchen demands compensation for at least 300,000 euros against the diocese of Essen. This amount not only reflects his personal pain, but is also the result of an intensive examination of the consequences of sexual abuse, which he was exposed to at the age of eleven.

Fesselmann, who was looking for a supposedly safe environment in the Catholic Church as a valet, was sexually abused in 1979 by a chaplain, Peter H., in his official apartment in Essen. To date, the deeds have thrown their shadows on Fesselmann's life. He suffers from anxiety disorders, has become alcohol -dependent and was unable to work due to his mental state. The process that began three weeks ago addresses the diocese of responsibility as an employer, since the deeds themselves cannot be pursued under criminal law due to the statute of limitations. Despite the possibility of rejecting the lawsuit, the diocese has decided to face the procedure, such as Radio Emscher Lippe reported.

a previously outrageous suffering

Wilfried Fesselmann calls for pain and suffering, which goes beyond his previous 45,000 euros from a church fund. He considers this sum to be insufficient. His case is not alone, but is considered in the context of similar judgments, such as that of another former valet, who received 300,000 euros by a Cologne court. WDR emphasizes that in another case the district court of Cologne has recognized the responsibility of the Church for sexualized violence by volunteers.

The process has also reached an emotional climax when Peter H. surprisingly appeared in court. After 45 years, Fesselmann saw the perpetrator again for the first time. While H. partly confessed to letting herself to bed naked naked, he denied the allegation of oral sex and referred to memory gaps. However, the court rated Fesselmann's statement as credible. Peter H. is now considered a serial offender and has committed numerous attacks in the course of his career, which led him from Bottrop to Bavaria. In 2010 he was finally removed from the church service.

A call to change

The initiators of a memorial stone built in 2022 in front of the St. Cyriakus church in Bottrop, including Fesselmann, are committed to increased education about sexual abuse in the church. They no longer want to ignore the suffering of those affected, but publicly address them in order to break a culture of silence and introduce preventive measures.

The judgment in Fesselmann's case is expected at noon this afternoon at 12 noon. It remains to be seen whether the court is making a decision or the judgment is postponed to obtain another report. In the premonition of a possible judgment, Fesselmann and his supporters are determined: they demand justice and recognition of the injustice suffered.