The board of the Hessian Left Party has expressed its dismay and shock at the allegations of sexual violence in the party.

The two regional chairmen, Petra Heimer and Jan Schalauske, admitted mistakes and omissions at a press conference on Thursday.

They had become "painfully aware" that there were no suitable structures in the party to deal with and deal with sexual misconduct, the two said in Frankfurt.

However, the federal chairwoman and former Hessian state chairwoman Janine Wissler is not to blame.

Therefore, the Hessian left thinks it is right that Wissler remains at the head of the federal party, said the deputy state chairman Michael Erhardt.

Ralph Euler

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung, responsible for the Rhein-Main section of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sunday newspaper.

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After the serious setbacks in the federal elections and recently in Saarland, the Left Party is “in a serious crisis”, which is being exacerbated by the current allegations of sexism, said Schalauske.

The chairman spoke of a "wake-up call" for what was actually an "emancipatory party".

The allegations of sexual abuse would have shaken him personally, too, and he apologizes to all victims.

The left in Hesse and in the federal government is facing a long process of reappraisal and enlightenment in order to live up to its claim as a "feminist party", added Heimer.

But the party leadership is also reaching its limits, because many of the allegations made have so far only been known to the state executive and the state parliamentary group from the press.

After the first allegations became known at the end of November last year,

"Hounding Comrades"

According to Heimer, no precise information on the number of possible victims can be given so far.

A suspect, an employee of the state parliamentary group in Wiesbaden, was on leave, as was the personal employee of a member of parliament.

Another suspect, a former Hessian member of the Bundestag, works for the party-affiliated Rosa Luxemburg Foundation.

All three vehemently reject the allegations made against them, according to Heimer.

According to its own statements, the Left State Executive now wants to work towards a “culture of looking”.

Trusted persons should be named whom victims of sexual violence could turn to.

In addition, consideration is being given to obliging party officials to attend anti-sexist training courses.

However, the leadership's approach is not met with understanding across the party.

The previous deputy state chairwoman and former member of the North Hessian state parliament Marjana Schott announced her resignation from the party and justified this step with the fact that “more or less unclear allegations” were made against members in social media, sometimes accompanied by nasty insults.

Offers to talk by the state board were rejected and the public prosecutor announced that

that "none of the accused comrades were being investigated".

The former left-wing member of parliament Gabi Faulhaber wrote in an email to party members that the allegations of sexual assault were "mainly based on rumours, information and vague statements".

However, there should be no "hunting on comrades" based on rumours.

Wissler wants to lead the Left alone

Last Friday, the "Spiegel" published alleged cases of sexual harassment in the Hessian Left Party.

There are documents with references to "alleged border crossings, abuse of power and a toxic macho culture," wrote the magazine after interviews with ten women and men.

The Federal Left Chairwoman Wissler then resolutely protested against the fact that "I am accused of having protected anyone".

On Wednesday, the co-chair of the Left Party, Susanne Hennig-Wellsow, announced her resignation.

She mainly cited private reasons and a lack of assertiveness in the renewal of the party.

However, Hennig-Wellsow also complained about “blatant deficits” in dealing with sexism in the party.

Wissler now wants to continue leading the left alone until the next federal party conference in June.