Swiss Catholic Church extends victims’ compensation fund
Keystone / Georgios Kefalas
A special fund set up to compensate people who suffered sexual abuse at the hands of representatives of the Catholic Church in Switzerland will be extended for another five years to allow more people to file claims.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/sb
The fund, which was launched by the Swiss Bishops Conference, has paid out compensation to 140 victims of abuse since 2016 when it was set up.
The scope of the fund has also now widened. All victim assistance services in Switzerland can now help people file claims. Previously claims could only be made via a diocese or, in French-speaking Switzerland, via the independent sexual abuse commission CECAR. External link After being considered, the requests were sent to a reparations commission.
The amount of compensation ranges from a single payment of CHF10,000 to CHF20,000 for very serious cases of abuse. However, the compensation fund only covers cases that have exceeded the statute of limitations or time limit within which legal proceedings may be initiated.
In 2010, the Swiss Catholic Church finally accepted responsibility for cases of sexual abuse by priests that had earlier come to light.
In 2019, it was reported that over 300 victims had come forward with allegations of sexual abuse against priests in Switzerland since 2010.
Sexual abuse within the Church has been reported across the globeExternal link but recognition and compensation has often been slow.
More
More
Swiss church bringing more abuse cases before judiciary
This content was published on
In 2017, a record number of cases – 65 incidents – were reported in Switzerland, according to the German-language newspaper. Of these, only ten were serious enough for the judiciary to act. Eight cases were reported by the church itself and the other two were investigated by prosecutors. The church declined to give details of the…
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Swiss nomadic people were victims of crimes against humanity, says government
This content was published on
The persecution of Sinti and Yenish in Switzerland in the 20th century is a crime against humanity according to current international law.
Swiss court finds ex-Gunvor executive guilty of corruption
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Criminal Court sentenced a former executive at Gunvor oil trading group to a 24-month suspended prison sentence.
Young adults feel increasingly helpless, finds Swiss generation survey
This content was published on
Young adults in Switzerland believe they have less influence on the future development of society according to the latest Generation Barometer.
Swiss 2024 wine harvest was poor due to weather conditions
This content was published on
The 2024 wine harvest was the second worst in the last 50 years due to unfavorable weather conditions such as frost and hail.
Swiss Red Cross fails to recognise foreign osteopathy diplomas
This content was published on
The Swiss Red Cross did not adhere to the guidelines set by the court when examining foreign qualifications of an osteopathy training.
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
Investigation clears bishop in sex abuse case
This content was published on
A Catholic bishop has been cleared of allegations that he tolerated a case of sexual abuse by a priest in his diocese in western Switzerland.
Swiss church bringing more abuse cases before judiciary
This content was published on
In 2017, a record number of cases – 65 incidents – were reported in Switzerland, according to the German-language newspaper. Of these, only ten were serious enough for the judiciary to act. Eight cases were reported by the church itself and the other two were investigated by prosecutors. The church declined to give details of the…
Swiss Catholic Church to step up sexual abuse reports
This content was published on
The Swiss Bishop’s Conference took the decision on Wednesday to allow police to more effectively investigate allegations and to reduce the risk of cover-ups in future. The ruling obliges Church officials to report all suspicions rather than rely on victims to come forward. While not confined to Switzerland, the issue of sexual abuse within the…
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.