Overview
- Researchers documented at least 672 children and adolescents abused or physically mistreated by clergy in the Diocese of Passau from 1945 to 2022, with the true total likely higher.
- The study identifies 154 clergy accused of abuse or violence, including 128 named for sexual offenses, with 86% suspected as multiple offenders.
- Cases stem from settings such as boarding schools and homes, religious instruction, and altar service, and reports indicate victims were mostly boys.
- The team reviewed about 2,400 personnel files and interviewed 25 survivors and roughly 35 other witnesses, noting frequent archival gaps and group-based source language that force minimal estimates.
- Bishop Stefan Oster apologized for institutional failures and the report, already provided to the independent commission and victims’ advisory board, positions Passau as the fourth Bavarian diocese to release such findings.