The government commissioner Kerstin Claus wants society to talk more about the subject of abuse. In her opinion, this requires a council for those affected in all federal states.
Government Commissioner Kerstin Claus believes that in order to raise awareness of the issue of abuse, a Council for Affected Persons is needed in all federal states.
“In any case, we talk too little about abuse in our society. That’s why we need a council for those affected in all federal states, not just at the federal level, “said Claus to the newspapers of the Funke media group. “Those affected bring the expertise with them, they know perpetrator strategies, they know what help is needed and how procedures could be made more child-friendly. They also know how competent basic medical care should be organized for those affected.”
Claus: “Culture of Abuse in Germany”
Claus is the Federal Government’s Independent Commissioner for Child Sexual Abuse Issues. It is continuously advised by a council of those affected, which currently consists of 18 members and works on a voluntary basis.
There is a large number of affected adults in Germany who have experienced sexual violence in their childhood and adolescence, said Claus. “There is a culture of abuse in Germany and it has been going on for decades. In the past even more invisible than today.”
The exact extent is still unclear, Claus complained. Figures on child abuse in Germany presented by the police a few weeks ago sound “enormous, but in fact do not come close to depicting the true extent of sexual violence”. «We do not know how many children in Germany are exposed to sexual violence. Therefore, we urgently need to research the dark field better.” Claus warned that politicians must now agree that the number of unreported cases will be collected regularly.
