Have mercy on the perpetrators

"His martyrdom has moved me deeply," wrote Pope Francis in the Preface to 2017 published book of the victim, Daniel Pittet. The West of Switzerland flagship Catholic, describes how he'd been abused between 1968 and 1972, as an acolyte of the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Fribourg by a Capuchin priest 200 times miss: "The Penetration, after the fair, belonged, as it were, of the Liturgy."

Already in the ' 70s, accusations against the Capuchins had become loud. But the order as well as the diocese of Lausanne-Geneva-Freiburg repressed and displaced the priest. So he could pass on to countless children. According to a last year study published a total of 22 victims were identified. In 2012, the Capuchin, was sentenced conditionally in Grenoble to two years ' imprisonment. Otherwise, his actions were time-barred. Until 2017, he was excluded from priests and religious.

One among many cases

In the Swiss Church, the abuse was in the past few years, the most spectacular case of child. And yet it is only one among many cases where the Church looked the other way, and the offender has, in the best case. This shows the statistics of the Swiss bishops ' conference, which she submitted to the pressure of the abuse debate in 2010, for the first time: at the Time you spoke of 150 cases of abuse since the 1950's, who were known. Of the 72 offenders – world priests and religious men had only been 6 criminally sentenced.

at the time, The outspoken Bishop's apology office call to the victim to report, has had an effect. Last September, the bishops were able to present new Figures: Since 2010, she learned of a further 300 sexual Assaults, most of them decades ago. Only 5 Assaults took place in the years 2011 to 2017, 56 already before 1990. The bishops increased the duty to report Sexual Assault should result in pointing to an official offence, in any case, to display the justice. Previously, they had set up an appreciation Fund for victims of Statute-barred Assault. With the measures taken, you are satisfied.

Sensitive issue remained

Nevertheless, remained the management of abuse is a sensitive issue. The Basel Bishop Felix Gmür, as President of the Swiss bishops ' conference on the abuse summit in Rome, was the beginning of the year in the headlines. He wanted to give a priest a second Chance, had been convicted of sexual acts with children. Several of the young people he is supposed to have the feet massaged. Since 2015 in Riehen as a temp employed, it was proposed there by the end of 2018 as a pastor. Gmür had made a condition that he should not be in the field of youth and his past to scrutiny. The priest, however, did not mention further harassment, and pulled back, finally, under pressure for his candidacy.

Shortly before that, this newspaper had made the case public, in the case of the Rom spared a West Swiss priest. Several men accused the 84-year-old spiritual, to have it over 50 years ago in the age of the child sexually harassed. 2016 suspended to the West of the Swiss Bishop Charles Morerod, the priests of all the functions and requested a canonical investigation by the Roman congregation for faith and doctrine. This has not made the provisional suspension, undo the grounds, an old priest, you'll save in the case of sexual Assault, the Statute of limitations. Concerned throw a Rom now, to protect the abuse of priests continue to act against its own Zero-tolerance policy. (Editorial Tamedia)

Created: 21.02.2019, 20:22 PM