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full screen Germany’s Lutheran Church has recurring massive Masses that gather tens of thousands of believers. Archive image. Photo: Jens Meyer/AP/TT
A large number of minors have been subjected to abuse by members of the Lutheran, Protestant church community in Germany. The information can be found in a comprehensive report published on Thursday, where the number who may have been exposed is estimated to be over 9,300 people.
The German church movement Evangelischen kirche in Deutschland (EKD) admitted at the press conference held when the report was published that not enough had been done to protect the young victims.
EKD has previously been considered to have managed to avoid young people being exposed to abuse, unlike the Catholic Church’s extensive problems.
Investigator Martin Wazlawik warned that the published data “may only be the tip of an iceberg”.
The researchers have gone through over 2,000 documents and say they have identified over 1,200 suspected perpetrators since 1946.
EKD head Kirsten Fehrs says in a statement that the study shows “a massive failure” towards the victims.