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The secret archives of the Catholic Church are intended to shed light on Swiss abuse cases. A first step.
The Catholic Church now wants to have cases of abuse in the church environment processed by an independent body. For a year, historians across Switzerland climb into secret archives, talk to priests and victims of abuse. Church representatives and the project managers have agreed on this. Victims’ associations are also involved in the pilot project.
It took longer than in other countries, but now the Catholic Church in Switzerland also wants to shed light on this dark chapter, says Joseph Bonnemain, Bishop of Chur and responsible for the topic of sexual assaults within the Bishops’ Conference.
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The Bishop of Chur, Joseph Bonnemain, at the media conference on April 4, 2022 in Lausanne: “Unrelentingly reveal”.
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«In the past, the victims were not taken seriously, even abandoned. The perpetrators were protected and not punished. It is about making amends for the injustice that has been suffered. We can only contribute to justice if we ruthlessly uncover and name all of this.”
The victims were not taken seriously, indeed abandoned. The perpetrators were protected and not punished.
According to Bishop Bonnemain, this step is historic for the Catholic Church in Switzerland because all representatives and organizations of the Church have agreed to the process. So in addition to the bishops’ conference, the cantonal churches as well as the monasteries and religious orders.
A team of historians should prepare a preliminary study
The independent investigation is led by two historians from the University of Zurich, Marietta Meier and Monika Dommann. They hired a team of four people spread across all parts of the country. In Ticino, in Romandy, in Bern and in Zurich.
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The preliminary study will show how the later cooperation will work, say the historian Monika Dommann from the University of Zurich (R) and colleague Marietta Meier (L).
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For a year they climb into archives, talk to people – and try to clarify open questions, as historian Marietta Meier says. This includes, for example, the question of why superiors do not act or why rumors within communities are not investigated despite relevant information.
We will now see exactly how the cooperation works. They should be measured by their deeds.
This preliminary study is intended to clarify which documents and files are actually available and whether the church representatives are actually participating, adds Professor Monika Dommann: “We will see exactly how the cooperation works. They should be measured by their deeds. That will probably be crucial for the follow-up projects and later cooperation.”
Legend:
At the media conference, Vreni Peterer from the IG Abuse Victims spoke about the importance of contemporary witnesses who suffered under the power of the church.
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Victims’ associations: processing comes too late
The victims’ associations welcome the existence of this independent investigation. From her point of view, however, the processing comes too late – and the victims should play an important role as contemporary witnesses, demands Vreni Peterer from the interest group for abuse victims in the church environment: “We also know how this power structure worked. For example, the priest threatened me with hell. Up until two years ago I was terrified of hell. That also belongs in this study.”
We know how this power structure worked. Up until two years ago I was terrified of hell.
The historians will start their work in May and will publish their study in autumn 2023. This report should then be the starting point for the actual, major investigation into sexual assaults in the Catholic Church.