Swiss Catholic Church to step up sexual abuse reports
The Catholic Church in Switzerland will in future report all suspected cases of sexual abuse, regardless of whether the victim presses charges. The new measure comes in response to a growing scandal that is damaging its reputation.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/mga
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 Catholic Church has produced a significant number of negative headlines. Since 2010, some 300 victims have come forward to report assaults in Switzerland, often carried out by priests.
In 2017 alone 65 new reports emerged, which was an increased rate on previous years. Many of the offences took place when the victims were children or adolescents. Given the time elapsed in reporting the offences, many may have passed the statute of limitations and may therefore be impossible to prosecute.
However, Bishop Felix Gmür, vice-president of the Conference, said this should not deter people from coming forward. “We want to know what happened,” he said at a media conference on Wednesday. Victims who are denied the opportunity of prosecuting their case could still apply for compensation from a special fund set up by the Church.
Earlier this month it was reported that the Swiss Bishop’s Conference, the Church’s highest body in Switzerland, plans to introduce sexual education courses for Church representatives.
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
Sylvain Saudan, ‘skier of the impossible’, dies aged 87
This content was published on
The Swiss father of extreme skiing pioneered descents from the Alps to the Himalayas – and became the sport’s first star.
Hayek family buys additional Swatch shares for nearly CHF11 million
This content was published on
Following the acquisition of registered shares worth over CHF20.6 million on Monday, the Hayek family made another purchase on Tuesday.
Suicide capsule to be used in Switzerland this year, says euthanasia organisation
This content was published on
The organisation “The Last Resort” has confirmed that the suicide capsule Sarco is to be used in Switzerland. This should happen this year, it said.
Ukrainian children flown to Switzerland for cancer treatment
This content was published on
The Swiss air rescue service Rega flew two Ukrainian children with cancer to Switzerland from a hospital in Kyiv hit by Russian missiles.
Swiss Solidarity raises over CHF10 million for victims of extreme weather
This content was published on
The money raised will be used to help those affected by the recent storms and flooding in the cantons of Ticino, Graubünden, and Valais.
Swiss giant Roche given green light for lung cancer drug in Canada
This content was published on
According to a recent study, Roche’s Alecensaro reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 76% compared to chemotherapy alone.
Victims launch organisation to fight abuse in Catholic Church
This content was published on
Victims involved in the fight against sexual abuse in the Catholic Church have joined forces to launch an international organisation in Geneva.
Swiss Catholic Church commission to examine abuse victims’ cases
This content was published on
The commission is ready to receive compensation requests from victims of paedophile priests, Joseph Bonnemain, from the Conference of Swiss Bishops, told the Swiss News Agency on Tuesday. The formal creation of the six-person commissionExternal link in January follows the establishment of a CHF500,000 ($498,000) compensation fund for victims of abuse by members of 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.