No compensation for pain and suffering for victims of abuse: judgment ensures outrage

No compensation for pain and suffering for victims of abuse: judgment ensures outrage

The legal disputes about the abuse of a priest from the Archdiocese of Cologne set an oppressive signal in society. A current judgment of the Cologne Regional Court, which was announced on July 1, 2025, dismissed the pain and suffering claim by a person concerned against the archbishopric. The plaintiff, who had been abused as a girl for years by her care father, a priest, demanded over 800,000 euros for the ill -treatment suffered.

The court found that the actions took place in the private framework and therefore could not have a direct connection with the church office of priest. This reasoning is sharply criticized by the affected initiative of angular table. She described the decision as a severe blow for all those affected and spoke of a "shame for the rule of law" ( Deutschlandfunk ).

A look at the legal foundations shows that the district court has excluded the possibility of an official liability of the archbishopric, since the priest's actions did not take place within the scope of its function as a priest. This was underpowered by church lawyers Stefan Mückl, who explained that the liability of the employer only applies in cases that are in a spatial, temporal and factual connection with the transferred tasks ( DOMRADIO ).

The figures on sexualized attacks in the Catholic Church make the scope and urgency of the topic clear: According to a comprehensive study, over 38,000 personnel files from clerics from 27 dioceses were examined in Germany between 1946 and 2014. 1,670 clergymen of the sexual abuse of minors were accused of more than 3,600 children and adolescents. The number of unreported cases could be even higher ( Statista ).

The discussions about the responsibility of the church in relation to these serious incidents are just getting started, especially since the current summit of the Catholic Church in the Vatican discusses with around 190 church representatives: responsibility, accountability and transparency. At a time when society demands more accountability from the institutions, it remains to be seen how the legal framework and social perception will develop in this sensitive matter.

The judgment would not yet be final; The applicant has the opportunity to appeal to the Cologne Higher Regional Court. It remains to be hoped that the voice of those affected will be heard in this procedure and that future decisions will focus more on the need for protection and justice for the victims of abuse.