Current:Home > StocksSweeping study finds 1,000 cases of sexual abuse in Swiss Catholic Church since mid-20th century -TrueNorth Finance Path
Sweeping study finds 1,000 cases of sexual abuse in Swiss Catholic Church since mid-20th century
View
Date:2025-04-13 08:38:55
GENEVA (AP) — A sweeping, year-long study of sex abuse by priests and others within the Roman Catholic Church in Switzerland published Tuesday has turned up more than 1,000 cases since the mid-20th century.
The report, commissioned by the Swiss Conference of Bishops and led by two University of Zurich historians, offers a rare and deep look at sexual abuse and harassment that has confounded the Catholic Church across the globe in recent decades — upending the lives of many victims and their families, and tarnishing the image of the institution.
The authors said in a statement that they identified 1,002 “situations of sexual abuse,” including accusations against 510 people accused. The abuse, they wrote, affected 921 people.
“The situations identified surely amount to only the tip of the iceberg,” said the historians Monika Dommann and Marietta Meier in a statement.
Among other findings, which were admittedly not exhaustive, over half — 56% — of the cases of sexual abuse involved men or boys. Some 39% of victims were women or girls, while sourcing did not allow for the remaining 5% percent to be identified by gender, according to the study.
The researchers pored over thousands of pages of secret documents, assembled by church authorities since the mid-20th century. But they said many sources of information haven’t been fully studied. They cited some cases where documents were destroyed to cover up any alleged wrongdoing.
With few exceptions, those accused of wrongdoing were all male. Nearly three-fourths of the documents examined showed the sexual abuse involved minors.
veryGood! (1)
Related
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- How to watch the Geminid meteor shower this weekend
- 'Wicked' sing
- 'We are all angry': Syrian doctor describes bodies from prisons showing torture
- 2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
- Biden says he was ‘stupid’ not to put his name on pandemic relief checks like Trump did
- Hougang murder: Victim was mum of 3, moved to Singapore to provide for family
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
- South Korea opposition leader Lee says impeaching Yoon best way to restore order
Ranking
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Joe Burrow’s home broken into during Monday Night Football in latest pro
- Making a $1B investment in the US? Trump pledges expedited permits — but there are hurdles
- Morgan Wallen's Chair Throwing Case Heading to Criminal Court
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- Fatal Hougang stabbing: Victim was mum of 3, moved to Singapore to provide for family
- The Daily Money: Now, that's a lot of zeroes!
- In a First, Arizona’s Attorney General Sues an Industrial Farm Over Its Water Use
Recommendation
Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
Joe Burrow’s home broken into during Monday Night Football in latest pro
Social media platform Bluesky nearing 25 million users in continued post
Austin Tice's parents reveal how the family coped for the last 12 years
Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
OpenAI releases AI video generator Sora to all customers
Is that Cillian Murphy as a zombie in the '28 Years Later' trailer?
Biden says he was ‘stupid’ not to put his name on pandemic relief checks like Trump did