Sexual abuses by bishops in Switzerland under investigation by church committee

On Sep 12, 2023

Swiss Bishop Joseph Bonnemain is pictured during a press conference in Chur, Switzerland, Tuesday, April 5, 2022. The Vatican has ordered an investigation into high-ranking Catholic clerics in Switzerland in connection with sexual abuse, the Swiss Bishops' Conference said on Sunday. According to the bishops' conference, the Vatican received a letter with the allegations in May and subsequently appointed Swiss Bishop Joseph Bonnemain to head a preliminary investigation in June. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)

RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – A church investigation is underway into allegations “against several emeritus and incumbent members of the Swiss Bishops’ Conference and against other clerics in dealing with cases of sexual abuse.

Catholic bishops in Switzerland issued a statement and made the investigation public. Some of them are accused of having committed sexual assaults in the past”.

A letter containing the information was forwarded to the dicastery for the bishops at the Vatican and Bishop Joseph Bonnemain was appointed to investigate, with his report due to be completed by the end of the year.

The statement says “The main subject of this preliminary church investigation is the allegations of covering up cases of abuse… The responsible public prosecutor’s offices were informed about the cases mentioned in the letter”.

The aim of the investigation is to determine whether there are sufficient indications for the initiation of church criminal or disciplinary proceedings.