Dealing with and preventing child sexual abuse in institutions of the Evangelical Church in Württemberg

Sexual abuse of children and adolescents; Protestant Church in Württemberg; reappraisal; Hymnus choir; Protestant seminars; Protestant youth organisation; YMCA; protection concept

01/2021 - 10/2023

Project background

The project is based on reports from former pupils of the "Evangelical Seminars" (= state church boarding schools) about cases of sexual abuse in the 1950s and 1960s. In some cases, the abuse took place during entrance examination courses or later during trips by the Stuttgart Hymnus Choir. An industrialist who had made a name for himself as a "benefactor" of the regional church is unanimously named as the perpetrator.

The project aims to give those affected the opportunity to tell their story - as an aid to personal reappraisal. This will be followed by a historical examination of the series of cases - with a particular focus on power relations, networks, mentalities and rituals that favoured the abuse. The current protection concepts of the affected institutions are then analysed from the perspective of the children and young people in care and the staff. The aim of the project is to be able to make recommendations for improving child protection.

Project description

The project consists of two sub-projects. The main task of the historical sub-project is to prepare, conduct and analyse interviews with contemporary witnesses - based on interview guidelines. This is supplemented by the study of files and so-called "grey" literature in archives and libraries. The second sub-project is based on a mixed design. A quantitative survey was carried out using specially designed questionnaires for the children and young people in care and the staff of the institutions under investigation. In addition, there is an in-depth qualitative survey in the form of interviews conducted with selected employees using a guideline and - in the form of focus groups - with selected children and young people.

Final report(pdf)

Evangelical Church in Württemberg