COLOGNE (GERMANY)
Premier Christian News [Crowborough, England]
July 10, 2025
By Kelly Valencia
A German court has rejected a claim for more than €800,000 (approximately $865,000) in damages from a woman who was abused by a Catholic priest who also served as her foster father.
The priest, identified as Fr. U., abused Melanie F. over several years and forced her to have an abortion. However, the court ruled that because the foster care arrangement was made through the state, the abuse occurred in a private capacity—not as part of his clerical duties.
The court also determined that the Archdiocese of Cologne could not be held liable, as there was no evidence that church officials were aware of the abuse.
The archdiocese said it welcomed the court’s decision, while acknowledging that “there are no winners when it comes to abuse.”
Survivors’ group Eckiger Tisch called the ruling “a shame for a state based on the rule of law” and said it reflected “profound ignorance of the institution of the Catholic Church and its teaching.”
“A priest promises to be celibate and to dedicate his entire life to the proclamation of the gospel,” a representative said, arguing that the foster arrangement was only possible because of the priest’s status.
Canon law expert Professor Thomas Schüller, who testified in the case, also criticized the decision. He told the news outlet Kölnische Rundschau, “Now we’re learning from lawyers for the archdiocese that priests have a private space where they can do whatever they want.”
He called for a landmark constitutional court ruling to clarify the liability of churches in such cases.
Melanie F. is expected to appeal.