Abuse cases in the church Priests in Zurich must take aptitude tests in future
In response to the abuse scandal, the Catholic Church in Switzerland is changing its structures.
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- One year after the publication of the abuse study, the canton and the Catholic Church have met and discussed the status of various measures.
- Among other things, victims of abuse in the church environment will be supported by the victim counseling service from next year.
- Suitability assessments with uniform standards for priests and other pastoral workers are also planned as a further measure.
One year after the publication of the study on sexual abuse cases in the Catholic Church, the canton and Catholic Church of Zurich have exchanged views on the status of the various measures. As announced by the Zurich Department of Justice on Monday, the aim was to clarify open questions and plan the next steps.
One of these steps: The unbundling of victim counseling, reporting offices and case processing for those affected, according to the press release. The collaboration will be reorganized from the beginning of 2025.
Victim counseling now handles abuse cases
From next year, victims of abuse in the church environment will be looked after by the Zurich Victim Counseling Service. It will set up its own specialist department to provide professional support for those affected.
The Catholic Church will pay a lump sum for the additional costs incurred by this support. It also creates a church information and coordination office to support the victim advice centers with case-specific clarifications.
Suitability assessments with uniform standards
As a further measure, suitability assessments with uniform standards for priests and other pastoral workers are planned so that "only suitable persons" can enter the pastoral ministry, it continues.
Forensic psychologist Jérôme Endrass, Head of Research & Development for Corrections and Reintegration in the Canton of Zurich, is currently working with his team to develop the standards for such an assessment. The aim is for it to be used when hiring pastoral workers in 2025.