Bavaria sets an example: Agreement on dealing with violence against children!

Bavaria sets an example: Agreement on dealing with violence against children!

The Bavarian state parliament has sent a strong signal by unanimously acknowledging a petition submitted by those affected by sexual abuse and violence. Richard Kick, who initiated the petition, expressed great joy about the result and the support from state politicians. The aim of the demands is to strengthen structures for dealing with violence against children in Bavaria and to finally initiate a serious strategy to deal with it. BR.de reports that there are specific points on the agenda in this regard.

The central concerns include, among other things, the introduction of a Bavarian processing law, the creation of an independent processing commission and the formation of a council for those affected. Another essential element is the establishment of a comprehensive network of well-funded advice centers. These are currently severely underfinanced due to insufficient funds, which severely limits the urgently needed help, as Petra Hasler-Kufner from the Bavarian State Association of Free Specialist Positions explained.

Political reactions and support

The reactions from the ranks of the political parties are complex. Gabriele Triebel from the Greens described the state parliament's decision as a "slap for the state government", while Doris Rauscher from the SPD spoke of "headwind" for the Ministry of Social Affairs, which had previously rejected the demands as unfounded. The CSU and the Free Voters also support the petition and recognize that existing structures must be aligned with the demands. Thomas Huber from the CSU reiterated this need during a debate in the state parliament.

Social Minister Ulrike Scharf (CSU) was open to the concerns and announced that her ministry would examine the points again. The Ministry of Social Affairs must provide an answer by autumn. A new meeting of the social committee will then deal with the concerns of those affected and supporters.

The pressure is growing

Those affected by sexual abuse have been seeking support and advocating for stronger political measures for some time. How stern.de reported, the initiators are calling, among other things, for the creation of an independent contact and advice center as well as a state representative against violence in institutions. The Federal Commissioner against Sexual Abuse, Kerstin Claus, emphasizes how important strong political structures are in the federal states in order to offer the children and young people affected the support they urgently need.

Another problem remains the frequent transfer of processing to the affected institutions themselves, which is criticized by many as insufficient. The Ministry of Social Affairs' earlier argument that the responsibility for processing and compensation lies with the owners of the affected institutions is increasingly being questioned. A support network for those affected has been created in Bavaria, but the call for improvements is loud and is becoming increasingly urgent, according to Richard Kick, spokesman for the Advisory Board for those affected by the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising.

Overall, the unanimous support of the petition shows that a new awareness of the necessary action has emerged in the Bavarian state parliament. The road to comprehensive reappraisal is still a long way off, but the initiatives send a clear signal that things cannot continue like this.