Abuse scandal: Commission of the dioceses Berlin and Görlitz dissolved!

Abuse scandal: Commission of the dioceses Berlin and Görlitz dissolved!

The processing of sexual abuse in the Catholic dioceses Berlin, Görlitz and Dresden-Meißen failed. This was announced by the Archdiocese of Berlin on June 3, 2025 when it confirmed the dissolution of the interdiocesan commission to deal with sexual abuse (IKA). The commission reduced to four members, which has been met since May 2023, should help to raise and evaluate the cases of sexual abuse in the dioceses mentioned and in Catholic military pastoral care.

The IKA had set itself the goal of examining the handling of perpetrators and victims and uncovering structures that made sexual abuse possible. However, discrepancies occurred at the first annual report in terms of independence and transparency of the processing. In a minority vote in February 2025, representatives of those affected expressed fundamental criticism of how the Commission acted. In view of these conflicts, the decision to dissolve was made, since the bishops assessed that further cooperation was not possible in the given framework, which those responsible described as unfortunate.

causes of resolution and reactions

The IKA consisted of nine members named by state governments, dioceses and an advisory board of those affected by abuse. Your task was to determine the extent of sexual violence and to develop suitable preventive measures. The resolution is mainly attributed to the resignation of other members and to an annual report that showed both communicative problems and dysfunctional cooperation. Federal Government's abuse officer, Kerstin Claus, described the dissolution as "fatal signal".

The bishops responsible for the dioceses, Archbishop Heiner Koch (Berlin), Wolfgang Ipolt (Görlitz) and Heinrich Timmerevers (Dresden-Meißen) regret this development and continue to emphasize their involvement for the processing. Claus also called for reliable structures for the next three years and criticized that possible solutions and alternatives were not talked about. The affected initiative of the angular table also regretted and called for an independent refurbishment commission, since in their opinion significantly concerned were treated.

context of the abuse processing in the church

The current situation in the Catholic dioceses is part of a more comprehensive problem within the churches. Affected and contemporary witness reports to the independent commission for the processing of sexual child abuse of serious incidents, cover -up and silence, both in the Evangelical and in the Catholic Church. For many affected people, the perpetrators have not only been active in their communities, but also in institutions such as homes or schools. These perpetrators are often found in power positions, which makes it more difficult to deal with.

The 2010 abuse scandal led to an increased perception of the votes of those affected. In this context, an independent and transparent processing is of great importance that requires external perspectives and the participation of the institutions. Similar commissions have been set up in all German dioceses to act against these grievances.

The Catholic Church is responsible in view of the current events to advance the required structural changes and to seriously incorporate those affected into the processing process.

The reports on the failed process for dealing in the dioceses are in a long series of challenges with which the Catholic Church is confronted. The future processing will decisively depend on whether the bishops are ready to take the necessary steps to regain the trust of those affected.

For more information on this topic, the reports of rbb24 , katholisch.de and refurbishment commission.de become.