Pastor of the Diocese of Münster suspended for allegations of abuse!

Pastor of the Diocese of Münster suspended for allegations of abuse!

A priest of the Diocese of Münster was suspended by his parish tasks due to serious allegations of abuse. This was officially announced by Bishop Felix Genn. The affected priest, who most recently worked as a pastor in a parish in the Warendorf district, sees allegations of sexual abuse from 2000 and 2001. According to reports from RP online

The person who raised the allegations against the priest received financial compensation as part of a procedure to recognize suffering. As early as 2015 and 2019, there were indications of cross -border behavior of the priest, but these earlier procedures were posted due to the lack of sufficient evidence. The church law preliminary investigation also did not provide any new knowledge. According to new information from the recognition proceedings, however, the case has now been checked and handed over to the public prosecutor, which initiated a new preliminary examination, but which is currently being restored until the state investigations are completed.

studies on sexual abuse in the diocese of Münster

In the context of these events, the comprehensive examination of sexual violence in the diocese of Münster is of central importance. Since October 1, 2019, a team of five historians from the Westphalian Wilhelms-Universität Münster has been working on dealing with abuse cases in the period from 1945 to 2020. The management of this research team lies with Prof. Dr. Thomas Großbölting, who has now switched to the University of Hamburg. The results of the comprehensive examination were published on June 13, 2022 and can be downloaded from the university website, such as Bishopric of Münster

On June 17, 2022, Bishop Dr. Felix Genn in a press conference on the study results and the measures based on it in the diocese. This session was broadcast live on the Internet and is available on the social channels of the diocese. In addition, in November 2023 details on a specific case that affects the priest a.F. were published in a new dossier.

numbers and facts about cases of abuse

In the diocese of Münster itself, a total of 1,708 personnel files were examined, which led to 138 accused clerics and 450 people affected. Coping with the past is a central aspect of church processing, and 937,800 euros were already paid to victims. These numbers illustrate the systematic challenges with which the church is faced with sexual abuse. According to a report by katholisch.de are affected by many dioceses and have initiated similar examinations.