15 Years After Abuse Scandal, Calls Grow for Independent Compensation System

Victims criticize insufficient church-led efforts and urge the German government to establish a state-overseen fund for fair reparations.

The 2010 revelations of systemic sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, beginning with cases at Berlin's Canisius-Kolleg, exposed decades of misconduct and cover-ups.
Victim advocacy groups, including 'Eckiger Tisch,' label the church's efforts at redress as inadequate, citing low compensation amounts and retraumatizing processes.
Advocates demand a state-supervised compensation fund to ensure transparency, fairness, and independence from church influence in addressing victims' needs.
Government inaction has also been criticized, with calls for legislative measures to strengthen protections against abuse and support for survivors.
Experts estimate the true scale of abuse far exceeds reported figures, with over 114,000 potential victims in the Catholic Church alone, highlighting the need for broader accountability.