In a former children's home of a Catholic foundation in southern Bavaria, sexual abuse and violence-related education were the order of the day for many years. This is the result of an investigation report presented by the diocese of Augsburg on the incidents since the 1950s.
The retired judge Manfred Prexl spoke of "excessive force" that could happen unhindered in the Donauwörther Heilig-Kreuz-Kinderheim. It was closed in 1977. Two home children had loud the "Augsburger general" the abuse a year ago made public.
The report on the attacks of the former presiding judge at the Munich Higher Regional Court appears to be on a sensitive date. Until Sunday, the heads of the bishops' conferences as well as representatives of the curia and religious discuss the church's handling of the abuse in the Vatican.
Interviewed 14 residents and two educators
For the report Prexl had investigated on behalf of the Augsburg bishop Konrad Zdarsa together with colleagues the incidents. Members of the group surveyed 14 residents and two home educators.
According to the participants in Donauwörth, the children experienced severe "physical, psychological and social violence" at that time, Prexl reported. In addition, two men and one woman had been "massively sexually abused" by the home director's educational director for years.
There is no doubt about the descriptions, said Prexl. All the accused were already dead. Since 2010, there have been repeated reports of physical and sexual abuse in former church or state homes in Germany.