Safeguarding
Reporting a concern
Safeguarding officer
You are welcome to contact our safeguarding officer for the area of responsibility of the Generalate of the Schoenstatt Fathers. He is also the safeguarding supervisor for the entire Secular Institute of Schoenstatt Fathers:
Fr Francisco da Cruz Sobral, ISch
Berg Sion 1
56337 Simmern, Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 261 6504-114
EMail: prevention@schoenstatt-fathers.org
Independent contact persons
Independent contact persons for reporting sexualized violence against or other kinds of abuse towards children, minors and vulnerable adults in the area of responsibility of the Generalate of the Schoenstatt Fathers are:
Heidi-Maria Schaum
Family counsellor I Trauma pedagogist
Goethestr. 11a
56179 Vallendar, Germany
Mobile phone: +49 (0) 171 1711401
Email: heidimaria.schaum@gmail.com
Bernhard Brantzen
Social worker | Deacon | Spiritual counsellor | Supervisor (DGSv) | Organisational counsellor
An den Frankengräbern 18
55129 Mainz-Hechtsheim, Germany
Mobile phone: +49 (0) 170 2743231
EMail: bbrantzen@gmx.de
Further safeguarding contacts
The government of the Federal Republic of Germany offers the following possibilities, if you wish to contact a safeguarding officer outside the Catholic Church:
Independent Commissioner for all issues regarding sexual abuse of minors (“Unabhängige Beauftragte für Fragen des sexuellen Kindesmissbrauch”)
Postal address: Glinkastraße 24, 10117 Berlin, Germany
www.hilfe-portal-missbrauch.de
Twitter: @ubskm_de
Instagram: @missbrauchsbeauftragte
Help number: +49 (0) 800-2255530 (anonymous & free)
The strictest confidentiality for victims and their relatives is assured. This especially applies in the case of sexual abuse in the rooms or at events that are under the direct responsibility of the Generalate of the Schoenstatt Fathers.
As our Generalate is in Germany, we also wish to indicate the web portal of the German Bishops’ Conference. There you will find lists of people to turn to in suspected cases of sexual abuse.
The safeguarding officers of the dioceses in Germany are also available, please visit: www.praevention-kirche.de.
Guidelines
The following documents were put into effect by general superior Fr Juan Pablo Catoggio on December 1st, 2020, and general superior Fr Alexandre Awi Mello on December 31st, 2023, respectively, and apply to everything and everyone under the direct responsibility of the Generalate of the Schoenstatt Fathers in Germany:
- Framework regulations – Prevention against sexualized violence against minors and vulnerable adults in the area of the German Superiors Conference
- Regulations for dealing with sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults by clergy and employees of the Catholic Church in the area of responsibility of the religious Orders
On April 22, 2024, the General Council approved the following guidelines to be implemented throughout the Institute: