Overview
- The Landgericht Regensburg dismissed the former choir boy's claim on Friday, finding the alleged abuse from the early 1990s was subject to the statute of limitations and therefore not legally enforceable.
- Plaintiff Matthias Podszus said he was abused in the Domspatzen preschool between 1991 and 1993 and had sought roughly €350,000–€400,000 for pain, lost earnings and other damages.
- The court said the claims could exist in substance but are barred by time limits, noting that a prior €50,000 recognition payment from an independent commission did not extend the limitation period.
- The Diocese told the court it had 'no knowledge' of the specific acts and questioned its responsibility because a foundation ran the school; the judgment is not final and Podszus is considering an appeal to the Oberlandesgericht Nürnberg.
- The decision sits against a 2017 report documenting hundreds of Domspatzen victims and reflects a wider pattern of dioceses invoking statutes of limitation, a trend that could push more disputes into settlements or prompt calls for legal change.