Doris Reisinger


Doris Reisinger is a German former nun and philosopher, theologian and author.

Early life and abuse

Reisinger was born Doris Wagner in Ansbach in 1983 and joined the Catholic religious community at an age of 19. In 2008, aged 24, Reisinger alleges she was sexually assaulter by Austrian priest Hermann Geissler, a member of both FOS and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Geißler resigned from the CDF in January 2019 but denied the accusations against him.

Leaving the order and activism

Reisinger left the order in 2011 and finished her theology studies in 2014. The same year, she published Nicht mehr ich. Die wahre Geschichte einer jungen Ordensfrau, her autobiography, which recounts her experiences as a victim of sexual assault within the Roman Catholic Church. Reisinger critiques that hierarchies of many religions and faith communities, such as the Catholic Church, subordinate individuals. She alleges that these communities would often provide the ideal conditions for assault by men higher up in the ranks. A criminal investigation conducted by the police in Germany and Austria against her alleged rapist did not lead to a conviction. In Germany, authorities closed the case because the priest's conduct did not meet the criteria of a crime, while in Austria the case was closed because the priest convincingly claimed that their relationship was consensual.

Publications