Prime Minister Laschet in front of Cologne Cathedral © Rolf Vennenbernd
The Catholic Church has also been criticized for its handling of the abuse case. Praise comes now from the policy: North-Rhine/Westphalia Prime Minister Laschet certifies the church to worry "intensively about the clearing-up of the abuse crisis.
"Today it reacts quickly and professionally, as current cases show, where it takes action even if the presumption of innocence is upheld," Armin Laschet (CDU) told the Catholic monthly magazine "Herder Korrespondenz" (June). "This is very consistent."
The CDU politician pointed out that sexual abuse is not just a problem for the Catholic Church, but for society as a whole. Abuse also occurs in other areas, such as sports, volunteer work and boarding schools, said the Catholic head of the NRW government. "From the youth welfare offices we know of dramatic cases."
Church with deputy function
The church ames a certain proxy function in the social debate, Laschet explained. In addition, the moral standards of the church and its representatives are higher: "Misconduct is particularly serious. The church must face up to this."
A study commissioned by the Catholic German Bishops' Conference had revealed that between 1946 and 2014, at least 3.677 minors were victims of sexual abuse by priests and religious. The authors attested to "specific structural characteristics" of the Catholic Church that had favored abuse.
The Bishops' Conference and the federal government's abuse commissioner want to agree on binding rules by the fall according to which the 27 German dioceses are to deal with the abuse scandal.