University of Münster study reveals spiritual abuse in Catholic communities

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Münster has investigated spiritual abuse within two religious communities located in the Catholic dioceses of Osnabrück and Münster. The findings suggest that spiritual abuse is driven by power interests and involves unauthorized interference in an individual's spiritual life.

According to study leader Judith Könemann of the Catholic-Theological Faculty, spiritual abuse should be recognized as a distinct form of abuse alongside sexual abuse. The research indicates that leaders in these communities demanded and enforced self-abandonment, self-surrender, and submission. Methods identified during the study included indoctrination, pressure, overwhelming demands, humiliation, and arbitrary decision-making. The researchers noted that the psychological and physical impacts on victims can be as severe as those resulting from sexual abuse.