EA point of contact and guidance for all those affected by abuse and violence is not the same as a long-overdue ombudsman for those affected by sexual violence in the churches.
But what the Bavarian Minister of Social Affairs, Ulrike Scharf, has now announced under pressure from the Greens and parts of her own party is still a signal – and one that points far beyond Bavaria.
On the one hand, the step taken by the CSU politician includes the admission that the hurdles to making use of the existing advice and help services are too high for many people seeking advice.
Elsewhere they are unlikely to be lower and the offers themselves are likely to be significantly lower. On the other hand, the announcement highlights the countries’ not particularly pronounced willingness to face up to their own responsibility in combating abuse and violence.
It is not the federal government, but the states that decide on training regulations for medical professions, lawyers, teachers or employees in social services.
Sensitizing these groups of people to the various forms of sexual abuse of children and young people and enabling them to support those affected would not only be proof of the state’s duty to protect, but also send a signal to potential perpetrators.
