---
title: Swiss Evangelical Leaders Assess Progress on Abuse Prevention Charter
url: https://www.faithfulnews.com/en/swiss-evangelical-leaders-assess-progress-on-abuse-prevention-charter
published: 2026-10-29T17:48:57+00:00
language: en
section: World Church
source: https://www.evangeliques.info/2026/10/26/charte-abus-eglises-evangeliques-redevabilite/
organizations: Swiss Evangelical Network, Romandy Federation of Evangelical Churches, La Passerelle Evangelical Church
publisher: FaithfulNews
---

# Swiss Evangelical Leaders Assess Progress on Abuse Prevention Charter

Approximately fifty representatives from Swiss evangelical organizations gathered on September 11 for a conference focused on accountability. The meeting was organized by the Swiss Evangelical Network to evaluate the effectiveness of commitments made under a charter designed to combat transgressive behaviors. The primary goal was to assess how well signatories have implemented the guidelines established in December 2022.

The charter, titled Together Against Transgressive Behaviors, was initially signed by twenty-seven church unions upon its release. Since then, the total number of signatories has grown to sixty-two organizations. The document explicitly states that Christian communities must be places of safety and trust where individuals are protected from transgressive behaviors and aggression. It further declares that no sexual transgression or aggression is tolerated within these communities.

Participants in the conference received training to identify spiritual and other forms of abuse perpetrated by church leaders. They also shared their own experiences to foster collective learning. A French psychologist and psychoanalyst named Edith Tartar Goddet delivered a presentation via video conference. She discussed the signs of potential spiritual misconduct that exceed the limits of healthy leadership and explained how to respond to such situations.

Christian Kuhn, the director of the Swiss Evangelical Network, explained that these biannual conferences aim to move signatories beyond the simple act of signing the charter. He emphasized the need to concretely assume the implications for prevention and crisis management when a transgression is confirmed. Kuhn noted that accountability requires each signatory to share what they have experienced over the last eighteen months and to explain how they managed any situations that arose. He added that learning from the experiences of others helps improve practices.

New enforcement measures have been introduced for the charter. An absence from a meeting now results in a warning, while a second absence leads to removal from the list of signatories. The participation status of each signatory will soon be available on the website of the working group. The Romandy Federation of Evangelical Churches, known as FREE, reported these developments on its website.

Kuhn linked the charter to the biblical passage in Ezekiel that denounces shepherds who exploit their position instead of protecting those entrusted to them. He observed that this passage reminds leaders of their responsibility toward the people in their care. The federation has also activated an email address for reporting spiritual and physical abuses within its member churches. Additionally, an information day regarding the charter is scheduled for April 29 at the La Passerelle Evangelical Church in Vevey.