Switzerland’sjudicial system decided to ban all convicted paedophiles from working with children for life from next year.
The new ban is the taking effect on January 1, 2019, according to the Swiss government’s announcement made on October, 10. The lifetime ban for paedophiles on working with children had converted a four-year-old referendum decision into law. In 2014, the national referendum showed that Swiss people are very concerned of the paedophile issue, so, vote’s results were converted into law four years later.
In its statement, the government said that the new law requires Swiss judges to systematically impose lifetime bans on adults convicted of sexual infractions against vulnerable individuals on working with such groups. The European country has until now allowed for child interaction bans of up to 10 years against paedophiles sentenced to at least six months behind bars.
Bern had opposed the text voted on four years ago over concerns it left no room for legal interpretation on the gravity or nature of paedophile crime. Although the final text allows judges to use their discretion and refrain from imposing a lifetime ban in some cases depending on the risk of relapse degree.
Switzerland’s law against paedophiles
Under the new law against paedophiles, all judges will be required to make this ruling in all cases, regardless of the sentence. In fact, there are still some concerns cases of young love. The new law might be imposed on a 20-year-old who has sexual relations with someone just under the legal age of consent of 16 or even/underage children.
Bern said however that in cases where a psychiatric examination confirms paedophile tendencies, “no exception will be possible”.
