Not only address abuse, but also prevent it in the future: The prevention officer of the Archdiocese of Cologne would like to see a special focus on the well-being of children – as well as a response to preventive measures on the ground.
Interviewer: The fact that your office as prevention officer exists is a direct consequence of the cases of abuse that became known in 2010. What exactly are your tasks as a prevention officer??
Manuela Rottgen (Prevention Officer of the Archdiocese of Cologne): Prevention officers coordinate the prevention measures, which are written down in the respective prevention regulations of the dioceses. This means that we support and advise all our sponsors in the Archdiocese of Cologne – i.e. all daycare centers, schools, parishes and youth welfare facilities – in implementing the measures described in these prevention regulations in concrete terms on the ground.
Interviewer: There is also an abuse commissioner in the archdiocese of Cologne. The is addressed when there has already been abuse or a suspicion of abuse. They are there for prevention. What does this mean in concrete terms?
RottgenThe prevention regulations are very clear on this. That means it starts with the selection of personnel, when I hire someone new or give them an honorary position. Already there I look carefully if the person is personally and professionally suitable to work with the entrusted minors. These can be specific questions that are asked in advance, for example in an interview. In addition, we advise the institutions on how they can check the extended certificates of good conduct, how they can keep track of the documentation, because the certificates have to be resubmitted every five years.
We advise facilities to ensure that everyone who starts a new job attends prevention training. This is particularly important to us, because we use it to create awareness of the ie. For our goal in all prevention measures, not only here in the Archdiocese of Cologne, but in all German dioceses, is to promote a culture of attentiveness toward the persons entrusted to our care.
On the one hand, this means taking a very self-reflective look at how I deal with the people entrusted to my care? Do I have an appropriate proximity and distance behavior to them? I am trained to look whether the well-being of the child is actually guaranteed? If I notice that the well-being is disregarded, I can observe and then also intervene courageously? Is it perhaps coming to border violations or assaults? If it comes to that, one should contact the intervention officer of the Archdiocese of Cologne and say that there is a suspicion that the well-being of the child is no longer guaranteed. Then something must be done concretely.
"Teaching children again and again in everyday life that their opinions are heard"
Interviewer: One is the measures you take, the other is the culture of silence that must be broken through. Are you addressing adults or the children themselves??
RottgenBoth. A lot of focus is actually on the adults, because we simply know that minors – no matter how old they are, very small or already pubescent – usually can't defend themselves against these incidents, because they are in a relationship with the person who is currently committing the boundary violation. Their reaction is rather to shrug apathetically, but not to say "Hey, I don't want that". For this, sensitive protectors are needed – i.e. adults who take over this task.
However, one measure of our prevention is also to strengthen children and young people in this respect. This, too, should be bundled in the institutional protection concepts. All of these measures are described in terms that are specific to the child's own institution. Offers and measures for the minors should be located there.
These can be very different things. For one thing, teaching children over and over again in everyday life that their opinions are heard by involving them in a participatory way in matters concerning their institution. On the other hand, that there are children's conferences in daycare centers and class groups where the children can raise their voices if they are dissatisfied with things. But they can also be measures that take place, for example, during lessons in schools. If, for example, a specialized institution comes with a play and perhaps there is also parental work. Because parents also have their part to play in education to empower minors.
Interviewer: With your practical everyday experience behind you, how do you look at this conference, which many call the "Child Protection Conference"??
Rottgen: I am very happy that Pope Francis has now invited to this child protection summit, also that a large number of the presidents of the bishops' conferences around the world are taking part in it. I have a great desire and expectation that Pope Francis will succeed in communicating the idea of child protection: "We bishops are responsible for ensuring that the children and young people entrusted to us are well in our institutions".
I hope that the bishops will take this to their countries and – depending on the conditions in their country – actually implement it consistently. For we must also be aware: There are countries where the position of the woman and the child is completely different from ours. Sexual abuse is considered a trivial offense. Society there also has no interest whatsoever in punishing these crimes – which is quite different from here in Germany, where there is a very clear legal system. Of course, the bishops there will find it all the more difficult to implement these protective measures. Nonetheless, it is important that the pope gives the bishops this sensitivity and instructs them to implement child protection according to the possibilities on the ground.
"Are the measures we have now developed and are implementing really effective against abuse??"
Interviewer: If you were a consultant, what practical advice would you give??
Rottgen: I would say, similarly to Father Zollner, go into discussions with those concerned. Listen to those affected. This has often not happened in the past, or has not happened for a very long time. Then the perspective changes. If you look from the perspective of the victims and the entrusted children and young people, then another aspect opens up: we have the responsibility to ensure that these crimes do not happen again. One approaches this topic with a completely different sensibility than if it always happens only on a theoretical level.
Interviewer: What do you hope to get as a feedback for your work from this conference in the Vatican?
Rottgen: I expect a reaffirmation of what we have been implementing here on site for more than eight years: Consistently continue to apply and further develop the prevention measures. There, too, new professional standards are developing, which must be harmonized. A major topic here in NRW in the coming months and years will be the evaluation of these prevention measures. Because the exciting question will be: Are the measures we have now developed and are implementing really effective against abuse?? Will they prevent abuse cases? I have the hope that intervention will also be established at high standards in all dioceses – just as it has been implemented here in Cologne in the meantime. There must be intervention centers that clarify suspected cases transparently together with external specialist disciplines.
Interviewer: You already have a total of over 100.000 people trained. That is a proud number. In your opinion, what is the most important piece of advice you can give to those – perhaps also to each of us at home – who have to deal with children?
Rottgen: The most important thing is to always ask yourself the question: Is the impulse I have right now, what I want to do good for the child, also exactly what the child wants. When a child falls down and cries, we often have the impulse to say: I'm going to take the child in my arms to comfort him or her. But this can be wrong for one or the other child – because this is too much closeness. That's why you can ask the child: Would you like me to take you in my arms?? Do you need this now? Then the child can decide for himself: yes or no. If one takes up this perspective, then it becomes clearly easier to get a certainty of action and not to become border violating, if one does not intend this at all.
The interview was conducted by Heike Sicconi.