Monks at the Hauterive Abbey in canton Fribourg urge potential victims of a former monk who allegedly molested several women between 1980 and 1995 to come forward.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ds
“We know that women have been harmed and that some will suffer for the rest of their lives,” reads the statement released on Monday by abbey officials. “Although the acts occurred a long time ago and are now prescribed, the monks express their painful regret and wish for the truth to come to light.”
In the note, the current superior of the Cistercian monastery, Abbot Marc de Pothuau, explains that in July 2019 he received the first testimony of a woman reporting harassment. Five more reports of similar abuse have come in this year.
Improper distance
The friar in question left the religious community in 1996, to get married, and today suffers from dementia. For about 15 years he had been in charge of the guesthouse. His role was to create an environment where guests and hosts could find spiritual guidance and support. But “in doing so, he did not always respect the proper distance from some of the women,” according to the statement.
Hauterive Abbey is located seven kilometers from Fribourg, in a bend of the Sarine River. “About 20 monks live in this privileged place, leading a simple life of prayer, work and brotherhood,” according to the community’s website. The guesthouse allows visitors to retreat into the monastic silence.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
Thousands of emigrants’ descendants in Argentina demand Swiss citizenship
This content was published on
The latest figures from the Federal Office of Public Health show that lab-confirmed cases dropped from nearly 2,340 to under 2,000 last week.
Swiss cities targeted by Russian hackers during WEF
This content was published on
Russian hackers have targeted canton Schaffhausen and the cities of Geneva and Sierre, paralysing their websites on Wednesday morning.
This content was published on
Paul Hottinguer, a member of one of Switzerland’s most famous banking families, will face trial in Paris for tax fraud and money laundering.
Swiss man who died in Iranian prison had photographed military site
This content was published on
The Iranian judiciary said that the Swiss man who died in an Iranian prison on January 9 had been detained for photographing a restricted military site.
Swiss researchers patent new device for avalanche detection
This content was published on
The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research said it has granted a group of Swiss researchers a patent for a device to enhance avalanche warnings.
Berset discusses ECHR climate ruling implementation at Davos
This content was published on
Switzerland has submitted a report on the court's ruling in Strasbourg. Berset told Justice Minister Beat Jans that the Council of Europe is reviewing it.
This content was published on
A 27-year-old ski tourer has died in the hospital in Sion, in southwestern Switzerland, after being caught in an avalanche on Saturday.
Swiss health minister criticises Trump’s ‘rash’ WHO exit
This content was published on
Switzerland has expressed “deep” regret over Trump’s decision to withdraw from the WHO, Swiss Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider said in Davos.
This content was published on
Job vacancies in Switzerland fell by 10% in 2024, marking the first negative annual balance since the Covid-19 pandemic, says Adecco.
Swiss president meets Zelensky in Davos amid tensions with Europe
This content was published on
Swiss President met Zelensky at Davos. As Zelensky thanked Switzerland, Keller-Sutter said it's too early to discuss a new summit, awaiting Trump's actions.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
The younger generation fighting sexual harassment at Swiss universities
This content was published on
When it comes to sexual harassment at Swiss universities, a new generation of women is taking matters into their own hands.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.