Survivor of Abuse Seeks 300,000 Euros from Essen Diocese in Court

Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia - In a significant legal battle, Wilfried Fesselmann, a 56-year-old man, is taking the Diocese of Essen to court, seeking at least 300,000 euros in damages for the trauma he endured as a child. The case, which began on April 4, 2025, revolves around allegations of sexual abuse he suffered at the age of 11 during a sleepover with a priest in July 1979.

According to Fesselmann, that night, he was allegedly given alcohol by the priest, Peter H., which rendered him vulnerable and led to an assault. The former altar boy claims that this traumatic experience has had lasting effects on his life, prompting him to seek justice and compensation.

The priest has been summoned to court and has partially acknowledged his actions, although he disputes the specifics of the allegations, claiming that oral sex did not occur due to gaps in his memory. However, due to the statute of limitations, he is not facing criminal charges for his past actions.

Previously, Fesselmann received 35,000 euros from the diocese, a sum he argues is insufficient to address the suffering he has experienced. After years of silence about the abuse, he has faced severe emotional distress, including panic attacks and struggles with alcoholism, leading to his inability to work.

Fesselmann contends that the diocese bears responsibility for the actions of its clergy under the principle of state liability. The diocese had previously chosen not to invoke the statute of limitations, allowing the case to proceed to court.

Following the allegations in the early 1980s, Peter H. was transferred to the Diocese of Munich under the oversight of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, where he was supposed to undergo therapy. Reports suggest that the priest's psychiatrist warned church officials against allowing him to work with children, yet these warnings were not heeded.

Subsequent abuse allegations continued in Munich, leading to a report from the IPP research institute that identified over 23 cases of abuse linked to the dioceses in Essen and Munich/Freising. The full extent of the allegations surrounding Peter H. only became public in 2010, resulting in his removal from clerical duties and eventual laicization.