One in three sexual harassment cases results in fine
Around 1,100 complaints of sexual harassment are filed in Switzerland every year and one-third of all cases end with fines or other punishment, a newspaper survey has found.
Compiling statistics from 24 cantons, the SonntagsZeitung External linknewspaper found that around 1,100 complaints of sexual harassment are lodged every year. Cantonal public prosecutors issued 337 sentence orders last year. National statistics are not available on this issue.
In a recent survey by the institute Marketagent published in SonntagsZeitung, 26% of Swiss residents questioned said they had been victims of sexual harassment. But only 11% of all victims report sexual harassment.
The newspaper article cited several lawyers who said this low rate is probably because of victims’ low chance of success in front of a judge or court, and because the fines handed out are low – generally several hundred francs.
The law permits fines of up to CHF10,000 francs for sexual harassment, and those receiving a fine of over CHF5,000 francs can also get a criminal record. But in practice such high fines are rare.
Popular Stories
More
Foreign affairs
Why Swiss trams have become sought-after vehicles in Ukraine
Switzerland participates in ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting
This content was published on
This engagement was part of a four-day tour of Southeast Asia, aimed at advancing the Swiss Federal Council's Southeast Asia Strategy.
Majority of shareholders approve sustainability reports of major Swiss companies
This content was published on
Shareholders have approved the sustainability reports of the largest Swiss companies by a large majority at their annual general meetings.
EU releases €1.5B frozen assets to Ukraine: Switzerland opts out
This content was published on
The EU announced the release of €1.5 billion (CHF1.44 billion) in aid to Ukraine. Switzerland will not follow the EU's approach.
Five people charged in connection with deadly Swiss rockslide
This content was published on
Five people have been charged with multiple negligent homicide in connection with the deadly Bondo rockslide that occurred seven years ago.
Parliamentarians call for action on sexual harassment
This content was published on
Voices are raised over sexual harassment in parliament after a politician is suspended from his party over stalking allegations.
This content was published on
#metoo and harcèlement (harassment) are the words of the year in German-speaking and (for the first time) French-speaking Switzerland.
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.