The Round Table of the Federal Government continues its deliberations tomorrow. Abuse commissioner Bergmann will present interim report of her work. Meanwhile, the government has announced plans to invest more in root cause research to prevent sexual abuse.
Legal ies are seen as the most sensitive points in the deliberations. Here's how controversial it is whether there should be a reporting requirement. Questions of compensation and the future statute of limitations are also open.
32 million euros for science
Ministers Kristina Schroder (Family, CDU), Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger (Justice, FDP) and Annette Schavan (Education, CDU) lead the deliberations. The next plenary meeting is scheduled for 1. December envisaged.
Meanwhile, Schavan announced the allocation of 32 million euros for the scientific reappraisal of abuse and violence in childhood and adolescence. Among other things, the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony, which in 1992 produced the only representative survey to date, is to develop a new survey with significantly more participants.
The topic of compensation
The agenda of the Round Table also includes a report by representatives of the Tauwetter and Wildwasser counseling centers on political demands formulated by victims at a nationwide congress in Berlin over the weekend. In addition, the three working groups of the Round Table will provide information on the status of their deliberations. The Catholic Church is also expected to provide more detailed information about its plans on the subject of compensation.
In view of the cases of abuse that came to light at the end of January, first in church institutions and then in other institutions as well, the government had set up a round table and appointed an independent commissioner. The Round Table appointed three working groups, which have since dealt with legal ies, prevention and qualification of professionals and volunteers, as well as scientific findings on the subject of abuse. The experts on legal ies have already met three times. The other two working groups met twice (prevention) and once, respectively.
Abuse, neglect and violence" research network
Schavan announced to journalists on Wednesday that her ministry is making 32 million euros available for research projects. Scientists should develop important foundations "to prevent child abuse and effectively help victims," she said. 20 million euros to be invested in an interdisciplinary research network on abuse, neglect and violence. Further funds flow into research in educational science.
Leading scientists, who are also involved in the roundtable, pointed to a close connection between early childhood experiences of violence or neglect and later cases of abuse when presenting the concepts. Neglected children often put themselves at risk because they sought closeness and trust elsewhere. According to Ulm physician Jorg M, children in institutions are a high-risk group. Fegert. With regard to trauma research, he referred to U.S. findings in dealing with the 11. September and Hurricane Katrina.
Brain research examines abuse images in the network
The physician and psychotherapist Klaus M. Beier, who has been leading a nationally respected abuse prevention concept at Berlin's Charite for years, lamented the presence of "abuse images" on the Internet. He rejects the term "child pornography" as too trivializing.
In the meantime, there are findings in brain research that viewing such images ensures that they are anchored in the brain, as if one had committed the acts oneself. Beier, referring to many assaults on the disabled, stressed the lack of a sex education program for this group of people.
Ministers in conversation with victims
Schroder, Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger and Schavan want to meet victims of sexual violence themselves in November for talks. In addition, Schroder and Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger plan to visit the memorial "Geschlossener Jugendwerkhof Torgau" soon to learn about cases of abuse in the youth work yards of the GDR.
The Catholic Church had presented new guidelines on sexual abuse in early September. Since then, in their leading bodies, the question of financial compensation was at stake.