Scandal at church congress
Munich. Leaflets with portraits of victims covered the floor, loud heckling directed towards the stage: protesters supporting victims disturbed a debate about abusiveness at the church congress in Munich.
A victim initiative disrupted an event about abuse in the catholic church at the ecumenical church congress. As a prelude to the emotional event, Norbert Denef, chairman for the network of aggrieved people of sexualized violence, stepped up to the podium. He was very vocal about his demand to finish the event early because the victims were not present to join the discussion, and the congress itself was more about the church institution than victims of abuse.
Leaflets with portraits of sexually abused people were littered in front of the stage prior to the event by priests, but church congress helpers collected them immediately.