Scandal in the diocese of Speyer: New study reveals systematic abuse!

Scandal in the diocese of Speyer: New study reveals systematic abuse!

On May 8, 2025, the University of Mannheim published the first partial study on sexual abuse in the diocese of Speyer. This comprehensive analysis, led by apl. Prof. Dr. Sylvia Schraut, comprises around 473 pages and examines the structural, historical and social conditions that made sexual abuse in the church possible and hindered its detection. A central aspect of the study is the interdisciplinary approach, which combines history, social education and administrative history.

The study also creates a database of all priests in the diocese in order to be able to compare accused and unaccused clergy. A central result is the early view of sexual abuse of power as individual misconduct, whereby the church's protective mechanisms often protected the perpetrators and structural problems were ignored. Inadequate control over members of the order and unclear responsibilities were identified as key factors that led to the cases of abuse that lasted for years.

Overview of the results

The analysis documents a total of 109 accused priests and 41 church employees who are guilty of sexual assault. The investigation also highlighted the Catholic Church's rigid sexual morality as a contributing factor in the concealment of abuse. It was found that half of the abuse occurred in the 1950s and 1960s, while the number of incidents decreased in the following decades.

• Die häufigsten Beschuldigten waren vor 1920 geboren und wiesen oft Kriegserfahrung sowie autoritäre Einstellungen auf.
• Kirchliche Heime für Kinder und Jugendliche wurden als „Hotspot“ für Übergriffe identifiziert.
• Missbrauch fand häufig während sakraler Handlungen und im Rahmen von Vertrauensverhältnissen statt.

Bernd Held, representative of the Advisory Board for those affected, calls for profound structural reforms to prevent abuse in the future. Vicar General Markus Magin describes the results of the studies as stressful and emphasizes the need for development steps within the Catholic Church in order to create a safe place for people and especially for children.

Outlook and further research

The second sub-study, which will contain detailed case analyses, is already in preparation and is expected to be published in 2027. It remains to be hoped that this research can provide impetus for necessary structural reforms in the Catholic Church. The project start of the entire study took place in April 2023 and is scheduled to last four years, with financing being secured by the diocese.

The results of this study are in the context of a broader discussion about coming to terms with sexual violence in church institutions. While the Catholic Church is working intensively on coming to terms with the issue, the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) is pursuing a similar approach by focusing on the individual coming to terms with sexual violence. The ETU discussion aims to develop viable models for recognizing those affected and to improve the framework conditions for processing.