Federal Council ready for a survey on incest
Published: Thursday, May 16th 2024, 11:20
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The Federal Council wants to draw up a report on the subject of incest and how to combat these crimes. It is backing a postulate from the ranks of the Greens. Over one hundred members of the National Council from all parliamentary groups have co-signed the motion.
The Federal Council is prepared to accept this mandate, as it announced on Thursday. It did not give any reasons for this. The transfer of the postulate by the National Council should be a formality given the number of signatures.
Low number of convictions
The motion was submitted by Christophe Clivaz (Greens/VS). He is calling for a comprehensive national investigation into the incidence of incest. The requested report should also show why victims of incest do not report perpetrators and why conviction rates for this offense are low.
Based on the surveys in Switzerland and comparisons with other countries, the Federal Council should also explain how incest can be better combated. Incest is a serious and at the same time underestimated social problem, Clivaz explains his postulate.
The available data shows a worrying disproportion: every year there are three to six convictions for incest. However, estimates of the incidence of this type of crime in families are alarmingly high. According to a recent study in France, up to ten percent of children are victims of sexual violence, and incest is the most common.
If these figures also applied to Switzerland, they would highlight a hidden problem, wrote Clivaz. According to the Swiss Criminal Code, incest is defined as sexual intercourse with blood relatives in the direct line as well as with siblings and half-siblings.
Convictions can result in prison sentences of up to three years or fines. According to the Criminal Code, minors are exempt from punishment if they have been seduced.
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