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…
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
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.