Overview
- The University of Passau released a study titled “Sexual Abuse and Physical Violence” documenting assaults on minors by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Passau from 1945 to 2022.
- The research team provided the report in late November to the Independent Commission for Review, the diocese’s Independent Victims’ Advisory Board, and Bishop Stefan Oster before issuing it publicly.
- Lead researcher Professor Marc von Knorring said many people in the diocese were sexually abused or physically mistreated by priests and continue to suffer lifelong effects.
- Passau is publishing later than several Bavarian dioceses, following Munich and Freising in 2022, Würzburg in spring 2025, and Augsburg in autumn 2025, with reports for Bamberg, Eichstätt, and Regensburg still scheduled.
- Bavarian dioceses report multi‑million‑euro recognition payments and thousands of applications since 2021, and prior report releases have spurred additional victim reports, as seen in Munich.