According to the (Swiss) 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. Bonnemain has a history of investigating sexual assaults around the church, the statement said.
By Jamey Keaten and Kirsten Grieshaber, Associated Press, in National Catholic Reporter
“The Vatican has ordered an investigation into high-ranking Catholic clerics in Switzerland in connection with sexual abuse, the Swiss Bishops’ Conference said on Sept. 10.
“The group said in a statement that there were allegations against several active and retired bishops as well as other clergy for their handling of abuse cases.
“Specifically, they are accused of covering up abuse cases. There are also accusations that some committed sexual assaults themselves in the past.
“‘There are accusations against some of them of having committed sexual assaults themselves in the past,’ it said.
“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.
“Bonnemain has a history of investigating sexual assaults around the church, the statement said.
“Fr. Nicolas Betticher, a priest at the Bruder Klaus church in the Swiss capital Bern, confirmed to The Associated Press that he had written the letter, which first came to light earlier Sept. 10 in report by the newspaper Blick.”
By Jamey Keaten and Kirsten Brieshaber, Associated Press, in National Catholic Reporter — Read more …