Nearly four years after voters approved the initiative, parliament has agreed on the details of implementing the proposed measures to protect children from sexual abuse
Keystone
Parliament has approved some exemptions to a life ban on convicted paedophiles working with children, which was approved in a 2014 people’s initiative.
The House of Representatives on Wednesday followed the Senate in allowing exemptions in lighter cases. These include, for example, selling a pornographic magazine to a minor or teenagers sharing videos with child pornography.
A sticking point between the chambers was also whether sexual relations between minors should be specifically mentioned as a general exception. It was finally decided to not to do so, leaving more margin to judges.
However, no exceptions will be made in the case of perpetrators diagnosed as clinically paedophile or people convicted of serious crimes.
Parliament said these regulations were necessary to avoid inappropriate verdicts or disproportionate penalties.
In May 2014, 64% of Swiss voters approved a proposal, to be enshrined in the constitution, banning convicted paedophiles for life from working with children.
Opponents, including the government, had argued that the text of the initiative was too simplistic and overlapped with a legal amendment that came into force at the beginning of 2015.
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Voters back paedophile ban on working with children
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Final results showed 63.5% of voters were in favour of the initiative. It also won the necessary backing of a majority of cantons. Turnout was 55.5%. Opponents, including the cabinet, had claimed the text was too simplistic and made redundant by a new law which comes into force in January. But supporters dismissed these reservations,…
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Almost two-thirds of voters approved the initiative in May 2014 and parliament and relevant parties are currently discussing how to put it into force. The cabinet had originally floated two possible solutions, one of which included exemptions to lifelong bans of working with children if this was neither necessary nor reasonable. This was strongly rejected…
Calls to curb use of people’s initiatives intensify
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Should it be harder to launch initiatives given the problems encountered in recent years with proposals accepted by the people but run contrary to international laws signed by Switzerland? Even if so, building a political majority ready to sacrifice part of the people’s sovereignty would appear to be nigh on impossible. At present, some 15…
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