The Swiss newspaper “Le Temps” has exposed cases of sexual, physical and psychological violence within the ultra-conservative Catholic Pius Brotherhood in several countries. The French-language newspaper wrote on Saturday that the Society of St. Pius, a self-help group for victims of abuse, reported about sixty “problematic priests.”
The Society of St. Pius The Pius Brotherhood, which describes itself as the ‘guardian of authentic Catholic doctrine’, says it is active in more than sixty countries. The more than 590 priests work in seminaries and brotherhood schools, among other places.
Numerous witness statements
According to its own information, the newspaper “Le Temps” spent months investigating the allegations of abuse against the Pius Brotherhood in Switzerland, Belgium and France and collected numerous witness statements. The reporters spoke to parents, former students and support groups.
Attacks on a boarding school
41-year-old François de Riedmatten from Switzerland described in the newspaper the attacks he suffered as a child at a boarding school in France. The perpetrator was an informal caregiver who took pleasure in the suffering of others and often abused them after showering. “He beat me up and kissed me immediately afterwards,” said the person involved.
The investigation is also based on legal proceedings against convicted perpetrators and more than twenty internal documents of the Pius Brotherhood, including letters and extracts from internal investigations. According to “Le Temps”, the accusations relate to the period from the founding of the Pius Brotherhood until 2020 and also to countries outside Europe.
Source: Krone
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