Swiss canton Valais launches probe into Church sexual abuse

Valais police are to investigate possible cases following an explosive report. Keystone / Monika Flueckiger

The public prosecutor's office in canton Valais has launched preliminary proceedings in connection with possible sexual assaults in the Catholic Church, the office said on Friday.

It said the prosecutor’s office had instructed the cantonal police to investigate “possible criminal offences in Valais that are not time-barred or have not already been dealt with” following a recent report on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Switzerland since the mid-20th century. For the accused persons, the presumption of innocence applies during the preliminary proceedings, the Valais prosecutor’s office noted.

The pilot study by the University of Zurich was commissioned by three Catholic bodies, including the Swiss Bishops’ Conference. Researchers counted 1,002 cases of sexual abuse since the mid-20th century. In their view, this is only the tip of the iceberg, as most cases were not reported and documents have been destroyed.

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