Abuse affair in Obernjesa: Church admits communication errors

Abuse affair in Obernjesa: Church admits communication errors

in the tranquil Obernjesa, a former children's home in the Evangelical Youth Welfare, there are dark shadows from the past. In the 1950s there were severe sexual assault, according to the first allegations. In 2012, those affected raised accusations against the pastor couple Hermann and Margarete Grüneklee, who had now died. However, the responsible church district of Göttingen-Münden was only informed about these serious allegations more than a decade later. In a statement by Göttinger Tageblatt it is pointed out that the regional church of Hanover has granted mistakes in communication. A tragic circumstance that could also hurt the people concerned.

The situation continued to escalate when it was discovered that the responsible church representatives in Göttingen were not informed about money payments to former home children. There were actually such payments after an independent commission of the regional church had classified the allegations as plausible. This fact alone speaks volumes about the years of silence and the lack of transparency to the disadvantage of the victims.

continued concern about current allegations of abuse

But the allegations of abuse not only smoke from the past. A current case concerns a pastor that, despite ongoing investigations and serious allegations, must remain employed. According to the Hannover decided that the conditions for return were not fulfilled. An accusation came from 2004 when a 15-year-old person had experienced sexual harassment. At that time, however, the pastor was not employed by the regional church, which complicated the situation.

The views on the legal situation became clear: The presiding judge described the incidents as sexual harassment, which has only been punishable since 2016. A fact that presented the dishes with a challenge. Jens Lehmann, President of the State Church Office, expressed that the church initially wanted to wait for the judgment before thinking about possible legal remedies against the pastor. The prohibition of working with children and adolescents remains, however, which is also a small relief for the parents concerned.

processing of the symptoms of abuse

The fates of the victims of abuse are not just a tragic footnote in the history of the church; They also raise significant questions about the systems that offered protection over the attacks for decades. In this context, dealing with sexual violence plays a central role. Experts emphasize that there are three forms of processing: individual, institutional and social. The first thing is aimed at the fact that those affected can handle their experiences and manage it. The institutional processing, on the other hand, deals with the structural defects that have created a protected space for perpetrators.

The regional church has at least announced that it will initiate a procedure for processing the processes in Obernjesa. Talks with the Göttingen church district and the Protestant youth welfare will soon take place. The aim is to encourage other affected people to comment. An important step to make the victims hear and to promote confidence in institutional processing. This is particularly crucial when you look at the story: Klaus Grüneklee, the accused pastor's son, has actively tried to get information about the names of the victims in the past and even threatened legal steps. A circumstance that also puts the vulnerable affected under pressure.

The processing of abuse incidents remains a challenging undertaking that not only affects the people concerned, but also the entire institution of the Church and their handling of the past. The path to healing and justice is long, but it is necessary to learn from the mistakes of the past and prevent future injustice.