The Archdiocese of Cologne was sentenced on Tuesday to pay 300,000 euros in damages to a man who was the victim of multiple sexual abuse by a priest in the 1970s.
The 62-year-old victim is said to have been sexually assaulted more than 300 times by a Catholic priest during that period.
The court in Cologne (North Rhine-Westphalia) ordered the archdiocese where the priest served to pay him 300,000 euros, as well as any future treatment for psychological damage, a court spokesman said.
The victim demanded 750,000 euros and the decision is still open to appeal.
The archdiocese has not disputed the allegations against the priest and has not attempted to challenge the statute of limitations.
This decision could change the way compensation is paid to victims of attacks committed by priests.
Until now, the church has awarded damages after referring the case to the Independent Recognition Commission (UKA) in Bonn.
So far, victims have received a total of around 40 million euros, of which 28 million in 2022.
According to a university study released in 2018, 3,677 children in Germany were sexually assaulted by members of the clergy between 1946 and 2014.
Since the authors did not have access to all files, the actual number is believed to be much higher.
All dioceses have now opened independent investigations to clarify the extent of the abuses.
Source: DN
