Basel diocese files five claims of sexual abuse in Swiss Catholic Church

According to the diocese, the five criminal complaints lodged are currently being processed by the competent authorities. Keystone

The independent sexual abuse reporting service of the diocese of Basel has received 141 reports since the publication of a sweeping study on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church by the University of Zurich in 2023. The diocese has filed five criminal complaints.

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Between September 2023, when the University of Zurich published its study, and January 20, 2024, the diocese of Basel received 141 reports of sexual abuse, the diocese said on Tuesday. Of these, 96% were claims made against persons who are now dead, cases of sexual abuse for which the statute of limitations had expired, and reports where the accused and the presumed victims could not be identified.

Of the 141 reports, the law firm Hess, which acts as the independent reporting service, examined 126 files and in 93 cases issued detailed recommendations to Bishop Felix Gmür. Sixty cases are still being processed and 80 have been closed.

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Criminal complaints in progress

According to the diocese, the five criminal complaints lodged are currently being processed by the competent authorities. In the case of the other alleged sexual abuses reported by the diocese, the civil criminal proceedings have been closed without a conviction being handed down.

+ Sweeping study finds 1,000 cases of sexual abuse in Swiss Catholic Church since 1950

Since the publication of the University of Zurich study, the law firm Kellerhals Carrad has prepared 27 claims for compensation. These have been forwarded to the Compensation Commission of the Swiss Bishops’ Conference (CES). A positive decision was reached on all of them. The firm has also completed three preliminary canonical investigations, while four others are in progress.

Largest diocese in Switzerland

The diocese of Basel, which has its headquarters in Solothurn, covers the cantons of Aargau, Bern, Basel Country, Basel City, Jura, Lucerne, Schaffhausen, Solothurn, Thurgau and Zug. With over a million Catholics, it is the largest bishopric in Switzerland.

+ Why Switzerland is losing its religion

According to the study conducted by the University of Zurich, more than 1,000 cases of sexual abuse are thought to have been committed in Switzerland by priests and members of Catholic religious orders since the 1950s. However, according to the authors, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The results of a further study will be presented in 2027.

Adapted from French with DeepL/gw

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