BERN (SWITZERLAND)
blue News [Zurich, Switzerland]
November 2, 2026
By Keystone-SDA
Anyone who has suffered sexual, physical, or spiritual abuse within the Reformed churches is to receive up to 20,000 francs in compensation. This was decided by the Synod of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Switzerland (EKS) on Monday in Bern.
A commission will be established in the first half of 2027 and is scheduled to begin its work in the fall of that year, according to a statement released by the EKS on Monday evening. Through these measures, the EKS and its member churches would assume institutional responsibility for the injustices suffered. In addition to financial compensation, forms of recognition tailored to the individual needs of those affected are planned.
Accordingly, an independent commission reviews the applications and recommends the amount of compensation. It takes into account the consequences for the affected person, the severity and duration of the incident, and how the institution handled the case. Financial compensation is provided when legal recourse is no longer available, for example, due to the statute of limitations or because the accused person has died. Non-financial compensation is possible in all cases, the statement added.
With its decision to compensate victims of abuse, the Evangelical Reformed Church is lagging behind the Catholic Church by an entire decade.