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 committed by a priest in the 1970s.
The 62-year-old victim allegedly suffered more than 300 sexual assaults by a Catholic priest in the 1970s.
The court in Cologne (North Rhine-Westphalia) sentenced the archdiocese where the priest officiated to pay him 300,000 euros, as well as to take charge of possible future treatments in case of mental damage, according to a court spokesman.
The victim claimed 750,000 euros. This ruling is still subject to appeal. The archdiocese did not contest the charges against the priest and did not seek to invoke the injunction against him.
Towards an evolution of the compensation of victims
This decision could change the compensation for victims of assaults committed by priests. Until now, the Church had awarded compensation after referral to the Independent Commission for the Recognition of Benefits (UKA) in Bonn.
So far, victims have received a total of around 40 million euros, including 28 million euros in 2022 alone, from members of the clergy between 1946 and 2014.
Since the authors did not have access to all the files, their actual number is considered to be much higher. Since then, all dioceses have launched independent investigations aimed at shedding light on the extent of the abuse.
Source: BFM TV
