Warsaw Hosts an International Conference on Safeguarding Against Sexual Violence in Church Settings
An international conference on safeguarding against sexual violence in church settings took place in Warsaw, Poland, on 19–21 June 2026. The event was organised by the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE/GEKE) in cooperation with the Guido Fluri Foundation and its European Justice Initiative. Around 100 representatives of more than 40 Protestant churches from over 30 European countries took part.
The conference focused on implementing safeguarding standards for children, young people and vulnerable adults in line with Resolution 2533 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The resolution calls for stronger prevention measures, appropriate responses to abuse and support for survivors. CPCE formally committed to making safeguarding a priority for Europe’s Protestant churches and launched a multi-year process of sharing experience and implementing effective protection mechanisms.
The Community of Protestant Churches in Europe is one of the continent’s largest Protestant church organisations. It brings together 96 Lutheran, Reformed, United and Methodist churches in Europe and parts of South America, representing around 40 million Protestants. Its headquarters are in Vienna.
CPCE has consultative status with the Council of Europe and works to advance theological dialogue, cooperation between Protestant churches, joint statements and responses to pressing social challenges. Creating safe church environments and preventing sexual violence are among these challenges. The organisation has therefore launched a broad European process to develop, implement and improve safeguarding policies in all its member churches.
A partner in the conference was the Swiss Guido Fluri Foundation, established in 2010 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Guido Fluri. The foundation runs a range of social projects supporting survivors of violence, defending human rights and promoting a just society.
The foundation established the European Justice Initiative, which brings together civil society organisations, scholars and survivor representatives from across Europe. The initiative played an important role in advancing Council of Europe Resolution 2533, which calls on states and institutions to ensure effective investigations of abuse, appropriate support for survivors and stronger prevention systems. Justice Initiative representatives described CPCE’s decision as a historic step that could serve as an example to other church and public institutions.
The German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine was represented at the conference by Bishop Pavlo Shvarts and Agata Shvarts. Creating a safe church environment is also a priority for GELCU’s ministry. The Church is already raising awareness, developing preventive measures and working to foster an atmosphere in which children, young people and adults feel protected, and people who have experienced violence receive support and have the opportunity to be heard.
On the second day, Bishop Pavlo Shvarts led morning prayer and offered a reflection on Psalm 71: “My lips will shout for joy when I sing to You, and my soul, which You have redeemed” (Psalm 71:23). He stressed that a truly safe Church cannot be built through human effort alone. Only the Lord gives the Church the courage to acknowledge its mistakes, the humility to learn and the strength to change, becoming a place of protection, justice and healing for people who have suffered hurt and violence. The prayer concluded with a plea for God’s support for all survivors and for wisdom as churches seek to protect the most vulnerable.
The Warsaw conference marked an important step towards shared European standards for safeguarding against sexual violence in church settings. Participants affirmed their commitment to cooperation, effective prevention mechanisms and making churches places of safety, trust and support for everyone.