A Swiss association has said it has collected over 100,000 signatures calling for a popular vote on whether to ban convicted paedophiles from working with children.
The White March (Marche Blanche) association, set up by a group of parents, said on its website that it had reached the minimum number of required signatures to force a national referendum on the issue.
The group is calling for a life-time ban “for those who were convicted for having attacked the sexual integrity of a child or a dependent person.”
The group said that a convicted pedophile who has served a sentence is currently free to exercise a professional activity with minors, including being a sport coach or a teacher.
“The vast majority of them are trustworthy. However, we know that those who are sexually attracted to children will go where they can satisfy their impulses,” the association said in a statement. “A paedophile who was convicted for sexually abusing a child should not be able to return to a place where he could again go after minors,” it said.