Swiss abbot at centre of sex abuse allegations steps down
The interim abbot of the Abbey of Saint-Maurice in southwestern Switzerland, Roland Jaquenoud, has stepped down from his position, the abbey announced on Thursday. An apostolic delegate appointed by Rome will now lead the community.
The interim abbot had already been suspended on Monday by canton Valais from his duties as a teacher at the secondary school. This decision followed the revelations of sexual abuse in an investigation by Swiss public television RTS.
+ Interim abbot of Saint-Maurice accused of sexually abusing novice
The cantonal public prosecutor, Nicolas Dubuis, visited the Abbey on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning to retrieve archives following the revelations.
College rector steps down
The rector of the collège of the Abbey of Saint-Maurice is temporarily stepping down from his post. Although he has not been implicated in any of the cases of sexual abuse recently revealed by the press, he has decided “to step down from his post while investigations are carried out by the Valais judicial authorities”, the canton of Valais said in a press release on Thursday.
He has taken “this decision in the interests of the establishment, to enable it to continue its training tasks as calmly as possible”.
Francis Hiroz has been appointed interim head of the college. Hiroz is currently head of second-year classes, a member of the Rector’s Council and teaches geography at the school.
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