Progress and Persistent Challenges: A Year After Landmark Abuse Study Rocks Evangelical Church
A year following the release of a groundbreaking nationwide study on sexual abuse within the Evangelical Church, Bishop Ralf Meister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover asserts that progress has been made in prevention efforts. However, the shadow of past failures and the ongoing demands for accountability cast a long light.
Meister, speaking to the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung" (NOZ), highlighted the development of protection concepts in all 47 church districts of the Hanoverian regional church as a significant step forward. "Something has clearly changed, we are on the way – even if we are not yet at the goal after twelve months of reappraisal and change. Our goal, to be a safe church, is a task that we must continue to work on," he stated, acknowledging the long road ahead.
The bishop expressed gratitude to the thousands of volunteer and employed staff members involved in crafting these protection concepts and undergoing relevant training. He also noted the clarification of responsibilities within the regional church structure. "We are continuing to work on establishing or expanding structures at all levels of our regional church for prevention, intervention and assistance in order to combat sexualized violence and offer assistance to those affected," Meister explained.
The aforementioned Forum study, presented in Hanover on January 25, 2024, sent shockwaves through the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD). It documented at least 1,259 accused employees and 2,225 affected children and adolescents within the EKD and its diaconal organization. Martin Wazlawik, the head of the independent study, characterized the identified cases as merely "the tip of the tip of the iceberg," suggesting a far greater scope of abuse. The Landeskirche Hannover itself revised its figures upward in the summer of 2024, increasing the number of known victims since 1945 from at least 140 to at least 190.
Adding further weight to the unfolding crisis, an independent report concerning sexual abuse in the Evangelical parish of Oesede near Osnabrück was published at the end of February 2024. The report alleged that a former deacon of the parish in the Osnabrück district, who died in 2018, sexually abused at least eight children, some severely. The authors of the report concluded that these crimes were covered up, underscoring the systemic failures that enabled the abuse to occur.
In response to these revelations, the Landeskirche Hannover implemented changes in its approach to dealing with sexualized violence last summer. These included increasing staff resources for the specialized department dealing with sexualized violence and allocating additional funding to church districts for the promotion of prevention work. These measures represent tangible efforts to address the problem, however, questions linger on whether they go far enough.
Despite these efforts, victims express concerns about the slow pace of processing known cases and the continued ambiguity surrounding the full extent of sexualized violence within the Evangelical Church. Within the Landeskirche Hannover, there has been criticism directed at Bishop Meister, with some victims arguing that he does not take the issue of sexualized violence seriously enough. Before the start of the Landessynode last summer, four victims publicly called for his resignation.
In response to this criticism, Meister pledged a cultural shift within his church in dealing with sexualized violence. He renewed this commitment in his recent interview with the NOZ.
Meister reiterated his rejection of the calls for his resignation, while acknowledging his own shortcomings. "I have made mistakes in not being available enough for conversations with affected persons. And above all, I have not questioned decisively enough whether our church procedures in dealing with affected persons were sufficient and implemented in a targeted manner," Meister admitted. He argued that some progress had been made and that he didn’t know "whether that would have happened if the system had unnecessarily spent time on internal self-employment through a resignation."
The situation facing the Evangelical Church is complex, requiring both immediate action to support victims and a fundamental restructuring of power dynamics and accountability mechanisms to prevent future abuse. The development of protection concepts and the allocation of resources are positive steps, but they must be accompanied by a genuine commitment to transparency and a willingness to confront the systemic issues that have allowed abuse to flourish for so long.
The survivors must be central to every conversation moving forward to shape the change. Their experiences, insights, and needs must guide the development of policies, procedures, and cultural changes within the church. By prioritizing the needs of the survivor community, the Church can begin to regain trust and demonstrate a true commitment to healing and justice.
The Church’s leadership needs to be held accountable. If there is no accountability, the survivors will feel as though their calls and concerns are not being heard. Those who enabled, covered up, or ignored abuse must be held accountable for their actions. By doing so, the Church can send a strong message that such behavior will not be tolerated.
The road to recovery and reform for the Evangelical Church is long and challenging. It requires unwavering commitment from church leaders, a willingness to listen to and learn from the experiences of victims, and a profound cultural shift towards transparency, accountability, and safety.
