Germany’s Protestant leader quits but denies ignoring sex abuse allegations
Germany’s Protestant leader quits but denies ignoring sex abuse allegations Al Jazeera English
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The Head of the Protestant Church in Germany Resigns Amid Allegations of Sexual Assault
Annette Kurschus steps down to prevent damage to the church
The head of the Protestant Church in Germany has resigned amid accusations she turned a blind eye to allegations of sexual assault at a church she pastored in the 1990s.
Annette Kurschus, a senior theologian who led Germany’s largest Protestant federation, said on Monday that she had no knowledge of the alleged abuse at the time but would step down to “prevent damage to my church”.
“At every moment, I acted to the best of my knowledge and my conscience,” Kurschus said at a press conference announcing her resignation. “But public trust in my person has been damaged.”
The 60-year-old theologian has been dogged by media reports that she was informed “in detail” of allegations of sexual abuse against a church colleague in the 1990s and took no action.
The colleague — who served as a vicar in the church district of Siegen, where Kurschus worked — is now being investigated by police.
Kurschus said she had been aware of the man’s “homosexuality and unfaithfulness in marriage” at the time but heard allegations of sexual abuse only this year.
“I have never – and I stress this – never sought to shirk my responsibility, withhold important facts, cover up facts or even cover up for an accused person,” she said.
Anna-Nicole Heinrich, who heads the Protestant Church’s synod, said Kurschus’s resignation “shows the importance placed by the church on firm action on the issue of sexual violence”.
History of Abuse
While the Catholic Church has for years been rocked by sexual assault allegations against clergy, German Protestant institutions, which represent 19 million people, have faced little scrutiny.
A study commissioned by the German Bishops’ Conference in 2018 concluded that 1,670 Catholic clergymen in the country had committed some form of sexual attacks against 3,677 minors from 1946 to 2014.
The real number of victims is thought to be much higher.
An 800-page report on just the Cologne diocese, released in 2021, found 202 alleged perpetrators of sexual assault and 314 victims from 1975 to 2018. More than half of the victims were under 14.
The Catholic Church’s payouts for victims of abuse in Germany were increased in 2020 to up to 50,000 euros ($54,600), from about 5,000 euros ($5,460) previously, but campaigners say the sum is still inadequate.
Last year alone, about 28 million euros ($30m) in payments were approved.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 5: Gender Equality | 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation | – No specific indicators mentioned in the article |
| SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions | 16.6: Develop effective, accountable, and transparent institutions at all levels | – No specific indicators mentioned in the article |
| SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals | 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships | – No specific indicators mentioned in the article |
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
The issues highlighted in the article are connected to SDG 5: Gender Equality, SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
Based on the article’s content, the specific targets that can be identified are:
- Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
- Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable, and transparent institutions at all levels.
- Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
No specific indicators are mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets.
4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets, and Indicators’ to present the findings from analyzing the article. In this table, list the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their corresponding targets, and the specific indicators identified in the article.
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 5: Gender Equality | 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation | No specific indicators mentioned in the article |
| SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions | 16.6: Develop effective, accountable, and transparent institutions at all levels | No specific indicators mentioned in the article |
| SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals | 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships | No specific indicators mentioned in the article |
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Source: aljazeera.com
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