Church congregations have also often looked the other way

Not only the diocese leaders have failed: The authors of the abuse study, which documented 401 cases of sexual abuse in the diocese of Mainz, also hold the parishes and Caritas associations to account.

Eonce they wanted in the diocese of Mainz Doing everything right. But then that went wrong again: the closure of the Catholic daycare center “Maria König” in the district of Weisenau, where sexual assaults allegedly continued in 2015. Children had tormented, beaten and blackmailed other children for weeks, according to the allegations that made headlines nationwide. And almost all of the 55 children were involved “as victims or perpetrators”, said the Vicar General at the time and almost seemed as if he had seen the real thing. The seven responsible educators, who were dismissed by the church leadership almost overnight and without really being heard, would have watched the evil goings on without doing anything.

At least that’s what some parents who communicated with each other mainly in chat groups had claimed. The diocese reacted with all severity. And thank God, at least that’s how it seemed at times, no cleric was involved in the proceedings, which the public prosecutor’s office ultimately classified as completely unfounded. After all, in this case, which was later to be dealt with by the labor court, “only” a few employed “kindergarten teachers” were pilloried. But no matter how bad it may have been on some days in the chronically understaffed day care center: the investigators were unable to determine a violation of the duty of care and education, evidence of bodily harm or other criminal offenses by adults.