Abuse Study: Diocese of Hildesheim Counts 84 Newly Identified Suspected Perpetrators Since 1945

The study examines sexualized violence in the northern German diocese from 1945 to the present day. Social scientists and legal scholars from several universities are involved. The study is initially designed to run for two years. It will end in April 2027, but according to the researchers could also be extended once more. The search for further evidence of suspected perpetrators is not yet complete.

Commissioner and Timeline

It was commissioned in March of last year by the then Bishop of Hildesheim, Wilmer. Wilmer, who is now Bishop of Münster, had commissioned the study in 2025. The current reappraisal study is also the first to examine how the former Bishop of Hildesheim, Wilmer, dealt with abuse during the period from 2018 to 2026.

Those Affected Report

When the first interim results were presented, many of those affected were also in attendance, including Markus Buller from Kissenbrück. The now 56-year-old said he was a victim of assaults as a youth by a pater near Göttingen in the 1980s. "Das alles fand in einer Zeit statt, als mein Vater gestorben ist," said Buller. "Der Pater bot sich in dieser Situation, in der es mir schlecht ging, als Ersatzvater an."

In his case, he said, there had already been allegations of abuse against the pater in question beforehand. "Trotzdem habe man ihn sehenden Auges auf unschuldige Kinder losgelassen," was his accusation. In his former profession as a management consultant, Buller says he can no longer work. "Durch die Übergriffe dafür gesorgt, dass er bis heute mit psychischen Problemen zu kämpfen hat," he said.

Demands and Outlook

Buller demanded that the institutional failure of the Church be placed at the center of the new investigation. "Das Versagen der Kirche muss in den Vordergrund!" In the end, there should be a detailed report with recommendations for action for the Diocese of Hildesheim. These are then also intended to ensure that people within the Church – particularly children – are better protected from sexualized violence in the future.

This news was broadcast on 10.07.2026 on Deutschlandfunk. The researchers emphasized that the archive search is not yet complete and further suspected cases cannot be ruled out. This means that the number of known suspects could continue to rise.