A Gelsenkirchen man is taking legal action against the Diocese of Essen for sexual abuse by a cleric, demanding at least €300,000 in damages.
Civil lawsuit over 1979 abuse case
A plaintiff is seeking €300,000 in compensation from the Diocese of Essen, citing sexual abuse by a priest. The diocese confirmed the receipt of the liability claim, according to a report by the dpa today, August 7. The civil lawsuit pertains to an incident in 1979 at a parish in Essen. The district court spokesman indicated that the response deadline has been extended, with a hearing likely set for the fall or even next year.
The priest was later transferred to Bavaria, where he allegedly committed further abuses and was sentenced to probation for abuse in 1986. A parallel case is ongoing at the Traunstein district court, where another victim is also demanding at least €300,000 in damages from the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. The former altar boy claims to have been abused by the priest in Garching an der Alz, Upper Bavaria.
Papal connection to the abuse case
The case gained attention because the late Pope Benedict XVI was the Archbishop of Munich and Freising when the alleged abuser was transferred to Bavaria. Critics accuse the then-Cardinal of knowing about the abuse and failing to act, allowing the priest to continue pastoral work.
The Essen lawsuit also names Georg Gänswein, the former private secretary to Pope Benedict, with a formal notice of dispute. This document has been delivered, confirmed the Essen district court spokesman. The Essen priest was initially suspended and dismissed from the clerical state in 2022. According to the plaintiff, this lawsuit is the first of its kind in the Diocese of Essen. Last summer, the Cologne district court ordered the Archdiocese of Cologne to pay €300,000 in damages to an abuse survivor in a landmark ruling.
