Hans Zollner, president of the Center for Child Protection (CCP) © Francesco Pistilli (CBA)
At their plenary meeting, the German bishops also want to deal with compensation for abuse victims. Vatican expert Hans Zollner hopes for an agreement and expects responsible persons to resign in the future.
Vatican abuse prevention expert Hans Zollner hopes German Catholic bishops will reach agreement on compensation and recognition payments for abuse victims.
"It would be good if they come to an agreement," he to the "Suddeutsche Zeitung". Starting this Tuesday, the bishops will meet in Fulda for their fall plenary session.
For some of those affected, the ie is very important, said Zollner, who is a member of the Pontifical Commission for Child Protection. "They want to have measured what lost quality of life can be offset by money."
Zollner expects future resignations of those in charge
He added that he expects those responsible to resign in the future. "It may have to be forced through public prere. But it will happen," said the director of the Child Protection Center at the Gregorian University in Rome.
Whoever is guilty must answer for it: "We are not a special world." The church must not "stop at the suffering of those affected" but must also ask: "Who made this possible, what processes were responsible for it, what persons were responsible for it, what prevented them from fulfilling their responsibility?"
Prevention goes well
In terms of prevention, the Catholic Church is now "considered good worldwide," Zollner said further. However, it is "far from having reached the point" where the institution has understood the suffering it has brought on victims.
He wonders why the Church does not approach "more openly and actively" those who have been "victims of the Church itself". The pattern of first defending the institution can also be observed in the military or in sports, says the expert. "But in our country it should not be so."
In other areas, he would also like to see improvements, Zollner said. Future doctors and teachers receive "very little to zero" training on child protection during their studies. Psychologists, sports coaches or kindergarten teachers should also be trained in this area.
In Fulda, one of the ies to be discussed is compensation and recognition payments for victims of sexual abuse. According to a decision in principle from the spring, the church wants to be guided by the civil law table of damages for pain and suffering. These currently provide for sums for sexual abuse of between 5.000 and 50.000 euros per case. Previously, benefits of up to 400.000 euros under discussion.