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New contact persons in the Diocese of Osnabrück: Help for victims of abuse!
On June 2, 2025, new contact persons for those affected by clerical abuse were introduced in the Diocese of Osnabrück.
New contact persons in the Diocese of Osnabrück: Help for victims of abuse!
In the Diocese of Osnabrück there are now two new independent contact persons for those affected by spiritual abuse. Maria Feimann and Michael Oesterheld take on these important tasks and support those affected. Diocese of Osnabrück reports that Feimann, an experienced educator and supervisor, has managed the Ohrbeck educational center in Georgsmarienhütte-Holzhausen for over 20 years. Oesterheld, a former marriage, family and life coach, also brings with him over two decades of experience as head of marriage, family and life counseling at the Caritas St. Elisabeth social work in Vechta. In doing so, they complement the existing team, in which Ingrid Großmann remains active as a contact person.
The new contacts replace Julie Kirchberg and Ludger Pietruschka, who have given up their duties after many years of service. The contact information for the contact persons is already available to ensure quick help for those affected. Maria Feimann can be reached on 0800 7354128 or by email at feimann@intervention-os.de. Michael Oesterheld can be contacted on 0800 0738121 or oesterheld@intervention-os.de. Ingrid Großmann can be reached on 0800 5894815 or info@grossmann-coaching.de. The postal address applies to all contact persons: PO Box 1380, 49003 Osnabrück.
Goals and support
The new contact persons provide legal support to those affected and would like to bring their concerns to the diocese for clarification. The aim is to offer help such as therapeutic support. Spiritual abuse remains a complex challenge because it is harder to prosecute but can have similar harmful effects as sexual violence. Such a form of abuse can lead to a loss of spiritual autonomy and have significant negative effects on the physical and mental health of those affected.
In order to meet these challenges, a working aid was developed that is aimed particularly at pastors, spiritual companions and those responsible in orders and communities. This is crucial in providing clarification of terms and evidence for identifying spiritual abuse. The working aid contains, among other things, chapters on setting up contact points for those affected, on intervention options and on integrating the topic into prevention work. DBK shop highlights that this area is in urgent need of revision in order to meet the current challenges in pastoral care and communities.
There is currently a significant need for help in clarifying and dealing with spiritual abuse in various dioceses. Although a lot of experience has already been gained in processing, a comprehensive scientific evaluation is still pending. The work aid is therefore viewed by the dioceses as comprehensive support in order to effectively use the current state of knowledge.