Scathing Report Alleges Church Leadership's Role in Cover-up of Sexual Abuse Claims
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Let's dive into the nasty details surrounding the external review of sexual abuse allegations against a former employee of the Evangelical Church in Siegen. The critical role of the former EKD chairwoman, Annette Kurschus, is being highlighted after the independent consulting firm Deloitte, tasked with investigating, pointed to several blunders in handling the claims.
The sexual misconduct allegations against the Siegen-Wittgenstein church employee were exposed in November 2023. Following the accusations, Kurschus resigned as chairwoman of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and as president of Westphalia.
A Hard Look at Kurschus and Westphalian Church Leadership
According to the final Deloitte report, Kurschus was informed by a parish pastor in October 2022 about potential sexual abuse allegations but passed the information on within the church. "The church leadership of EKvW was informed in full in April 2023," leading to an internal conflict in the regional church office and "mutual loss of trust at the leadership level of EKvW."
The church leadership opted for a passive communication strategy due to external advice and regulatory requirements. The lack of transparency led to high media pressure and a lack of support within church bodies, ultimately resulting in Kurschus' resignation. "In light of these issues and other questionable connections, a legal review of possible misconduct by those involved is recommended," the special report advises.
Sexual Abuse Spans Decades
The allegations against the church musician were made public through a report in the "Siegener Zeitung." According to the report, seven individuals have levied accusations against him, dating from the 1980s to 2022. All were organ students. The accused admitted to sexual contact with two of them, but it could not be confirmed whether the victims were minors at the time.
The former employee denied further advances or actions, but "this is contradicted by the results obtained through the investigation," according to Deloitte's report.
How the Church Handled the Allegations
Superiors of the church musician had knowledge of the allegations as early as the 1990s, yet no formal investigation was carried out. Kurschus was a parish pastor in the sending service in Siegen in a neighboring congregation – essentially in a probationary service – and was closely friends with the wife of the accused.
Kurschus resigned at the end of 2023, "at peace with herself"
Several men have alleged that Kurschus knew about the abuse but did not respond appropriately. Kurschus justified her resignation from her top positions in November 2023 with a loss of public trust, but also emphasized that she was at peace with herself: "I have always acted to the best of my knowledge and conscience."
Westphalian Church Admits Failing Its Duty
The ability of the accused to violate the sexual autonomy of students entrusted to him for decades illustrates the failure of the Protestant Church in Westphalia, acknowledged the leading clergy of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia (EKvW) and the Kirchenkreis Siegen-Wittgenstein. "The Evangelical Church of Westphalia acknowledges and admits its failure to the victims and the public," said Ulf Schlüter, Theological Vice-President of EKvW.
The Westphalian Church will take action to review possible breaches of duty by those involved, modify and continue to improve procedures for preventing and intervening in cases of sexual abuse. Communication processes will also be made more transparent.
Legal Investigation Dropped
The public prosecutor's office in Siegen had discontinued the proceedings against the church employee over a year ago. From a criminal law perspective, the man could not be charged with sexually abusing those in his care, the investigating authorities declared. In the investigated suspicions, either no criminal offense was recognizable, or the cases were too old.
- Investigation Report
- Annette Kurschus
- EKD
- Deloitte Report
- Siegen-Wittgenstein
- Audit
- Westphalia
- Sexual Abuse
- 1980s
- Inaction
- Failures
- The Deloitte report reveals the EKD chairwoman, Annette Kurschus, was informed about potential sexual abuse allegations in October 2022 but passed the information within the church, leading to internal issues and mutual distrust.
- The Westphalian Church leadership, including Kurschus as the former chairwoman, is under scrutiny for their handling of the sexual abuse allegations against a former church employee in Siegen-Wittgenstein.
- The Deloitte report advises a legal review of possible misconduct by those involved, including Kurschus, due to questionable connections.
- The allegations against the church musician date back to the 1980s and involve seven individuals who were organ students, with two admitting to sexual contact but their age at the time is unconfirmed.
- The Westphalian Church admits to failing its duty by allowing the accused church musician to violate the sexual autonomy of students for decades.
- The public prosecutor’s office in Siegen dropped the proceedings against the church employee over a year ago, stating that he could not be charged with sexually abusing those in his care from a criminal law perspective.
