Financing Sexual Abuse: Cessation and Closure / Victim Advocacy Organizations Vigorously Condemn
In a joint press release, several prominent German organizations, including the WEISSEN RING, have called for the permanent continuation and structural securing of the Fund for Sexual Abuse (FSM). The FSM, part of the Supplementary Support System (EHS), has been retroactively halted due to budgetary realignments and funding cuts in broader governmental appropriations.
The FSM, which was planned to be discontinued following an audit by the Federal Court of Auditors, has been a crucial aid for victims of sexual abuse. It alleviates the consequences of abuse and provides necessary services not covered by health, long-term care insurance, or social compensation rights.
Franziska Drohsel from the Federal Coordination of Specialized Counseling stated that a legally anchored and low-threshold aid offer like the FSM is urgently needed. Bianca Biwer, Federal Managing Director of WEISSEN RING, echoed this sentiment, calling the halt of applications a "shameful" and "heavy blow" to victims who often suffer from the consequences of abuse for decades.
The new black-red coalition, in its coalition agreement, assured the continuation of the Fund for Sexual Abuse and the associated Supplementary Support System with the involvement of the advisory board. However, the recent retroactive halt of applications has sparked concern among specialist organizations.
The organizations, including the White Ring, have sent a letter to the coalition committee, criticizing the retroactive halt of applications to the FSM. They demand that support be maintained and that necessary funds be provided in the federal budget. The White Ring, Germany's largest aid organization for victims of crime, has stated that the federal government should provide victims of abuse and victim support organizations with a timely perspective and specify the future design of the supplementary support system.
The halt of the FSM has potential implications beyond the fund itself. Specialist organizations warn about the negative impact on services for domestic violence, sexual assault prevention, and victim support programs, as these efforts rely heavily on stable and continuous funding to implement meaningful change.
Halting the FSM retroactively disrupts the infrastructure needed for training, counseling, and systemic reforms necessary to adequately address sexual abuse across institutions. The lack of funding also risks losing momentum in preventive education and victim assistance services that the FSM helped sustain.
Around 36,000 affected individuals have applied for the FSM, with 165.2 million euros paid out. It is crucial to note that the White Ring, which finances its activities exclusively from membership fees, donations, bequests, fines imposed by courts, and public prosecutors' offices, does not receive public funds.
In conclusion, the retroactive halting of the FSM due to fiscal budget decisions has prompted specialist organizations to caution that this move jeopardizes essential victim support services and impairs progress toward safer and more respectful environments. The organizations urge the federal government to reconsider its decision and ensure the continuation of the FSM and the Supplementary Support System.
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- The Fund for Sexual Abuse (FSM), a vital aid for victims of sexual abuse, has been deemed crucial by organizations like the WEISSEN RING and the Federal Coordination of Specialized Counseling.
- Politicians in the new black-red coalition, in their coalition agreement, assured the continuation of the FSM and the associated Supplementary Support System, but recent events have sparked concern among these organizations.
- The halt of the FSM has potential implications in the realms of mental-health, sexual-health, and health-and-wellness, as it could disrupt services for domestic violence, sexual assault prevention, and victim support programs.
- Policy-and-legislation and therapies-and-treatments related to sexual abuse may be compromised if the FSM is not reinstated, potentially leading to a reversal in progress toward safer and more respectful environments.
