Zurich Reformed Church apologises, but survivor demands more

The Reformed Church of the Canton of Zurich has apologised to women who say they suffered sexual and emotional abuse by a pastor, but one survivor says the church has not changed enough. At least 10 women have made allegations, SRF reports.

Sandra M., whose name has been changed, says the pastor assaulted her in a parish house in Winterthur in the mid-1990s. She was then a young local journalist interviewing him. As she was leaving, she says, he grabbed her shoulder, pushed her against a wall and tried to kiss her. She escaped when he tried to open her blouse.

She did not go to the police at the time because she believed no one would believe her: the pastor was widely liked. About 10 years later, she spoke to the newspaper Landbote after other women had come forward. She says she then faced hostility, including letters to the editor claiming she had imagined the incident. Church leaders at the time concluded that there had been a lack of professional distance.

The church council stopped an internal investigation in 2007 after the pastor resigned. The church considered the matter legally closed. He moved to French-speaking Switzerland, took a job in Geneva and continued working until his retirement about 10 years ago.

The church has now acknowledged that at least 10 women experienced abuse and said it failed to take responsibility. The Swiss Protestant Church Parliament is due to discuss financial compensation in November.

Sandra M. calls the acknowledgement an important step but not an end to the matter. She says she wants to know what would happen today if a pastor behaved in the same way. She also criticises the church for relying mainly on internal reviews rather than allowing independent external investigations.

Esther Straub, president of the Zurich church council, said the accounts had shocked her. She said the church had failed badly in 2007 by not concluding the investigation transparently for those affected and the public, adding that this had retraumatised survivors. The church now has reporting offices, safeguarding plans and information-sharing between cantons to help prevent offenders from moving on unnoticed.

SRF religion editor Léa Burger said the Zurich church’s current efforts appeared credible, noting that it had had a comprehensive safeguarding plan for several years. A study into the Reformed Church is also under way, with results expected next year.