- Widespread Sexual Abuse in the Swiss Roman Catholic Church Uncovered Since 1950
- Cover-Up and Mismanagement: The Dark Reality Behind the Abuse Cases
- Calls for Accountability and Reforms as Swiss Catholic Church Acknowledges Failures
Switzerland’s Roman Catholic Church has being investigated for approximately 1,000 sexual assaults since 1950.
According to the report, the majority of victims were male and involved minors. The overwhelming majority of defendants were male.
Additionally, researchers from the University of Zurich discovered evidence of a “widespread cover-up.”
“The cases we have identified are without a doubt only the tip of the iceberg,” stated the study’s leaders.
The report was compiled by Monika Dommann and Marietta Meier following a year-long investigation commissioned by Church authorities.
They were granted access to Church archives and conducted interviews with numerous individuals, including victims of sexual abuse.
However, they stated that “numerous” additional documents were not yet available.
Two dioceses erased data, and not all sexual abuse cases were recorded and retained, the researchers found.
According to Ms. Dommann and Ms. Meier, “Given what we know from research on the dark figure of crime, we assume that only a small percentage of cases were ever reported in the first place.”
More than half of the identified incidents occurred during pastoral care, particularly during confession, altar service, and religious education in children’s organizations and associations.
Another 30% of child abuse occurred in Catholic children’s homes, day schools, and residential schools.
In addition to documenting instances of sexual abuse, the researchers examined how Church officials handled these cases and concluded that a significant number were “kept secret, covered up, or trivialized.”
Their report criticized a variety of officials, including bishops, for not doing more to assist the afflicted.
Powerful people, sometimes abroad, “systematically” reassigned clerics accused of abuse to evade prosecution.
Thus, the interests of the Catholic Church and its dignitaries were prioritized over the welfare and security of parishioners.
According to the researchers, this perspective did not alter until the 21st century, when numerous sex abuse scandals emerged.
“Unfortunately, the results of the preliminary investigation confirm what we have observed and, in some cases, are still experiencing,” groups representing victims of sexual abuse said in response to the report.
“For decades, the Catholic Church authorities in Switzerland have covered up these crimes, protecting the perpetrators and their institution’s reputation at the expense of the victims who were silenced.”
Tuesday, the president of the Swiss Bishops’ Conference, the governing body of the Catholic Church in Switzerland, stated at a press conference that the organization “gave countless excuses” and “fell short of what the victims are entitled to.”
Renata Asal-Steger stated, “We search for words knowing we will not find the right ones.”
In 2024, the University of Zurich is scheduled to initiate a follow-up initiative that will be funded by the Church.
