Munich/Bamberg (dpa/lby) – Almost six months after the start of the “Hellfeld” project to prevent sexual offenses against children, Bavaria’s Minister of Justice Georg Eisenreich draws a first positive conclusion. “The project was very well received. Since the start of the project on January 1 of this year, 23 initial talks have already taken place in Bamberg,” said the CSU politician on Wednesday in Munich.
The project, which is based at the Bamberg Social Foundation, is aimed at people with ongoing investigations or criminal proceedings for sexual offenses against children or the consumption of child pornography. Unlike in the “Don’t become a perpetrator” prevention network, you can be offered treatment here. “Expanding the range of therapies is important because these people are often particularly open to psychotherapeutic treatment. With the “Hellfeld” project, we are further improving therapeutic care,” stressed Eisenreich.
Persons who are being investigated because of the sexual abuse of children or child pornography and who would like to deal with the causes and possibilities for preventing future criminal offenses can contact the Bamberg Social Foundation by telephone or e-mail. Here you will receive information about the treatment and can arrange personal appointments.
Ralf Bergner-Köther, psychological psychotherapist and head of the prevention project, emphasized that he hopes to be able to offer the project in other cities soon. “In this way we help those affected and children equally.”
“Protecting children from sexual abuse has top priority in Bavaria. That’s why we’ve optimized our law enforcement structures,” said Eisenreich. But prevention is also an important building block in the package of measures. “Behind every case of abuse and every child pornographic image or video is the unbelievable suffering of a child. We want to prevent sexual abuse from the outset as best we can.”
