Headline

Thousands Of Minors Abused By German Protestant Church, Study Reveals

Published

2 years ago

January 25, 2024

The German Protestant Church on Thursday acknowledged it did not do enough to protect children after an independent study revealed thousands of cases of sexual abuse within the organisation.

The study estimated that the number of minors who fell victim to church ministers and staff may be as high as 9,355.

Researchers made the calculation after reviewing the files in 2,225 documented cases of assault, which identified 1,259 potential perpetrators since 1946.

The limited evidence provided by regional churches meant the figure was likely just “the tip of the tip of the iceberg”, co-author Martin Wazlawik said at a press conference.

The study is an indictment for the German Protestant Church (EKD), which had long managed to avoid the sort of scandal that engulfed the Catholic Church.

The head of the EKD, Kirsten Fehrs, said in a statement that the results of the study showed a “massive failure” towards the victims.

“We did not protect them at the time of the crime and we did not treat them with dignity when they found the courage to come forward,” Fehrs said, promising to continue work to make amends.

‘Slow work’

To date, the Protestant Church’s efforts to bring light to the circumstances of abuse had been worse than their more-criticised Catholic counterparts, said study co-author Harald Dressing.

The “slow work” of regional churches to deliver documents, despite a contractual agreement to make them available, meant the study could not be carried out fully, Dressing said.

Katharina Kracht, who was assaulted by a church minister in the 1980s, said she was disappointed with the results of the study.

“The regional churches are preventing us from coming to terms with it,” Kracht said, criticising delays to a meaningful investigation.

Commissioned by the EKD in 2020, the study was carried out by an independent research association under the direction of the Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

Not just ministers, but full- and part-time employees, as well as church volunteers fell within the scope of the study.

The German Protestant Church said it would in November present an “action plan” based on the results of the abuse study.

The publication of the report comes after the former head of the EKD resigned at the end of last year after she was accused of covering up a suspected sexual assault by a colleague.

Annette Kurschus was reported to have failed to act after having been informed of allegations against a male colleague in the church district of Siegen.

She denied any knowledge of the abuse but said she was resigning “to prevent damage to my church”.

A similar study into the Catholic Church commissioned by the German Bishops’ Conference concluded in 2018 that 1,670 clergymen had committed some form of sexual attack against 3,677 minors between 1946 and 2014.

The real number of victims is thought to be much higher.

The Catholic Church in 2020 increased payouts for abuse in Germany to up to 50,000 euros, although campaigners said the sums were still too low

AFP

Headline

Again, Russia Claims Another Village In Ukraine’s Region

Published

16 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Russian army Monday claimed to have captured another village in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, moving deeper into Ukrainian territory as peace efforts stall.

Russian forces are slowly but steadily gaining ground in costly battles for largely devastated areas in eastern and central Ukraine, normally with few inhabitants or intact buildings left.

Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had seized the settlement of Zaporizke in the region, which Russian troops recently advanced into for the first time in the three-and-a-half-year offensive.

Kyiv denies that Russian troops have gained a foothold in the Dnipropetrovsk region, an important industrial hub.

After another push by US President Donald Trump to broker a Ukraine-Russia summit, hopes for peace dimmed when Russia last week ruled out any immediate meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.

The central region of Dnipropetrovsk has previously been largely spared from fighting that has ravaged swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, until Russia said its forces broke through in July.

Dnipropetrovsk is not one of the five Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea — that Moscow has publicly claimed as Russian territory.

Ukraine said Russia had launched over 100 drones Monday, killing a 37-year old civilian driver and wounding two people in the northeastern Sumy region.

Moscow said Kyiv had launched about two dozen drones targeting western Russia

Headline

US Comedian Reggie Carroll Shot Dead In Mississippi

Published

16 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

A United States comedian, Reginald “Reggie” Carroll, has been shot dead in Southaven, Mississippi.

The 52-year-old Carroll, widely known as the Knockout King of Comedy, was reportedly killed on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.

The Southaven Police Department confirmed the incident in a Facebook statement on Saturday.

“Southaven officers located one male victim suffering from gunshot wounds.

“The officers and medical personnel provided life saving techniques but the individual succumbed to his injuries,” the statement partly read.

The victim was later identified as Carroll, a Baltimore native.

Police said one suspect was arrested and charged with his murder.

“One male is in custody and has been charged with the murder of Reginald Carroll.

“Our thoughts are with the family of Mr. Carroll.

“Thank you to the community for their patience and understanding,” the department added.

The police further assured that there was no ongoing threat to residents, describing the case as “an isolated shooting.”

Carroll, who built his career in stand-up comedy, gained national recognition touring with Katt Williams and headlining his own showcase, Knockout Kings of Comedy.

He also featured in the 2000 edition of Showtime at the Apollo, appeared on the UPN sitcom The Parkers alongside Mo’Nique and Countess Vaughn, and starred in the 2022 television film Rent & Go.

In 2023, he produced the stand-up special Knockout Kings of Comedy.

The Southaven Police Department disclosed that an investigation into his death is ongoing.

Headline

US Defends New Social Media Vetting For Nigerian Visa Applicants

Published

16 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria on Monday reaffirmed that the safety and security of the United States remain the cornerstone of its visa application and decision-making process.

The US said this following its directive last week that mandates Nigerians to disclose all social media usernames and handles used over the past five years as part of the visa application process.

US Mission said Nigerian visa applicants must provide a comprehensive list of their social media profiles on the DS-160 visa application form, and warned that omitting the information could lead to visa denials.

Reacting to the development, the Federal Government said US citizens intending to visit Nigeria will be subjected to the same measures.

“The best we can do is to carry out reciprocal action. Some people from the US might want to apply for a visa, and we will adopt the same measures,” spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said last Monday.

However, in a statement released Monday on X, the US Mission said prospective visa applicants undergo careful vetting to maintain a safe and welcoming environment in the US.

It said, “The safety and security of the United States is at the heart of every #USVisa application and decision process.

“That’s why prospective applicants undergo careful screening to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

The Mission added, “These measures help protect American citizens and communities while supporting secure and responsible travel.”