Overview

• The study identifies weak oversight, unclear responsibilities, and an authoritarian clerical culture as key enablers of abuse in the Speyer diocese.
• Two-thirds of the 109 accused clerics were born before 1920, with most abuse occurring in the 1950s–1960s and half of cases only revealed after 2000.
• Church-run children’s and youth homes were highlighted as high-risk environments fostering abuse through permissive climates.
• The diocese has paid €3.6 million in compensation to 96 survivors but faces calls for independent, transparent reparations mechanisms.
• A public statement from the Speyer diocese addressing the findings is scheduled for May 9, marking a critical step in its accountability process.