The Archdiocese of Cologne has been ordered to pay 300,000 euros in compensation to a man who was the victim of several sexual assaults by a priest in the 1970s, AFP reports.

The 62-year-old victim was allegedly sexually abused more than 300 times by a Catholic priest in the 1970s.

According to a court representative, the court in Cologne (North Rhine-Westphalia) ordered the archdiocese, where the priest served, to pay the man 300,000 euros, as well as cover any future treatment for psychological problems. The victim demanded 750,000 euros. The decision is still subject to appeal. The archdiocese did not deny the accusations against the priest and did not try to claim that they were ancient.

The decision could change the way compensation is paid to victims of abuse by priests. The Church has so far awarded compensation after an appeal to the independent Commission for Recognition Payments (UKA) in Bonn. To date, victims have received a total of approximately forty million euros, of which 28 million euros in 2022 alone.

A university study revealed in 2018 that 3,677 children in Germany were sexually abused by clergy between 1946 and 2014. Since the authors did not have access to all the archives, the actual number is believed to be much higher. All dioceses have since launched independent investigations to shed light on the extent of the abuse.