Financial support for victims of sexual abuse through accident insurance

Financial support for victims of sexual abuse through accident insurance

According to a report by www.br.de,
Abuse in the church has shattered resumes. Richard Kick was eight years old and an altar boy when he was sexually abused by a chaplain. Today he is fighting for compensation for himself and others affected. He is now one of the first to have it in black and white: his abuse is a case for accident insurance - which surprised Richard Kick himself. The Verwaltungsberufsgenossenschaft (VBG) is the largest provider of statutory accident insurance in Germany and informed both large churches in April 2022 that children and young people are insured against abuse as part of a church voluntary work. This means that they can receive financial help if they become victims of abuse. This claim even applies to cases that are time-barred.

Due to the abuse, Richard Kick has been 80 percent unable to work since he was 14 and now receives a lifelong monthly injury pension of over 1,000 euros. The VBG also pays injury pensions retroactively for up to four years. A total of 400 affected people from both large churches have already contacted the VBG. The lawyer and co-author of the Munich abuse report, Ulrich Wastl, believes that the fact that the statutory accident insurance attests to the damage suffered by those affected is a significant signal. The VBG even reserves the right to assert claims for recourse against the churches.

The impact of this decision on the market is currently difficult to estimate as there have been no comparable cases yet. However, this could lead to similar regulations being introduced in other organizations. The VBG's decision could also have an impact on the industry, as other insurance carriers could be forced to take similar measures to meet legal claims.

However, the VBG decision has a direct impact on the consumer. Those affected by sexual abuse can now hope for financial support to improve their living conditions. This could help them recover from the trauma they have suffered and potentially improve their quality of life.