Statement of Katholischer Akademischer Ausländer-Dienst on the case of Dr Claus (Klaus) Weber, Diocese of Trier / Bolivia
As part of the process of reappraising cases of sexual violence the Diocese of Trier has informed on a case that also involves KAAD. From 1996 to 2003, Dr Claus Weber was the spiritual advisor of KAAD and as such responsible for the spiritual support of our scholarship holders at educational events. With shock we have received the information on cases of sexual violence against minors of which Dr Claus Weber is accused in Bolivia and Germany. Furthermore we are irritated by the fact that KAAD has not received any relevant information from the Diocese of Trier before and during Dr Claus Weber’s employment at KAAD.
We will do everything we can to help clarify the situation. At the present time, we have no information that sexual assaults were committed in the course of his work for KAAD. Persons who have information are requested to contact us at intervention@kaad.de.
About KAAD
KAAD e.V. (Katholischer Akademischer Ausländer-Dienst) is the scholarship organisation of the Catholic Church in Germany for postgraduates and academics from countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Central and Eastern Europe.
Through scholarships, educational events as well as personal and spiritual support, KAAD promotes its scholarship holders with a view to multiplier activities in their home countries, so that they can take on leadership tasks in social and cultural development out of social responsibility and church commitment. This is done in cooperation with partner committees and associations of former scholarship holders in these countries, with the aim of (academic) network building and a contribution to holistic development that includes the religious and interreligious dimension.
The KAAD emerged from an initiative of the Fulda Catholic Congress in 1954. In 1958, it was registered as a non-profit association with head office in Bonn. Since then, approximately 10,400 scholarship holders from seventy countries have been supported.
