When the Shepherd is a Wolf in Disguise (Swiss Press Online 2019, by Pierre Pistoletti) - Swiss Press Award
cath.ch
Pierre Pistoletti
The Catholic internet portal cath.ch examines sexual abuse in the church. This leads to a examination of conscience that ignores neither the victims nor the severity of the deeds and their psychological consequences. Since 1950, 218 cases of sexual abuse have been registered in the Catholic Church in Switzerland. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. For too long, the bishops have tried to deal with the cases internally, focusing more on maintaining the victims’ silence rather than on their suffering. In front of journalist Pierre Pistoletti’s camera, three victims of abusive priests tell of their ordeals: manipulation, breach of trust, a dictate of silence and spiritual ambivalence, all of which added to the mental suffering. Through interviews and testimonials on video, the journalist also ventures to ask the essential question: what are the structural elements of the church that enable such abuse?
Interview with Pierre Pistoletti
