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- Art. 5a FC
- Art. 6 FC
- Art. 10 FC
- Art. 16 FC
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- Art. 29a FC
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- Art. 43 FC
- Art. 43a FC
- Art. 55 FC
- Art. 56 FC
- Art. 60 FC
- Art. 68 FC
- Art. 75b FC
- Art. 77 FC
- Art. 96 para. 2 lit. a FC
- Art. 110 FC
- Art. 117a FC
- Art. 118 FC
- Art. 123b FC
- Art. 136 FC
- Art. 166 FC
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- Art. 11 CO
- Art. 12 CO
- Art. 50 CO
- Art. 51 CO
- Art. 84 CO
- Art. 143 CO
- Art. 144 CO
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- Art. 147 CO
- Art. 148 CO
- Art. 149 CO
- Art. 150 CO
- Art. 701 CO
- Art. 715 CO
- Art. 715a CO
- Art. 734f CO
- Art. 785 CO
- Art. 786 CO
- Art. 787 CO
- Art. 788 CO
- Transitional provisions to the revision of the Stock Corporation Act of June 19, 2020
- Art. 808c CO
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- Art. 2 PRA
- Art. 3 PRA
- Art. 4 PRA
- Art. 6 PRA
- Art. 10 PRA
- Art. 10a PRA
- Art. 11 PRA
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- Art. 13 PRA
- Art. 14 PRA
- Art. 15 PRA
- Art. 16 PRA
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- Art. 19 PRA
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- Art. 25 PRA
- Art. 26 PRA
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- Art. 30 PRA
- Art. 31 PRA
- Art. 32 PRA
- Art. 32a PRA
- Art. 33 PRA
- Art. 34 PRA
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- Art. 37 PRA
- Art. 38 PRA
- Art. 39 PRA
- Art. 40 PRA
- Art. 41 PRA
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- Art. 44 PRA
- Art. 45 PRA
- Art. 46 PRA
- Art. 47 PRA
- Art. 48 PRA
- Art. 49 PRA
- Art. 50 PRA
- Art. 51 PRA
- Art. 52 PRA
- Art. 53 PRA
- Art. 54 PRA
- Art. 55 PRA
- Art. 56 PRA
- Art. 57 PRA
- Art. 58 PRA
- Art. 59a PRA
- Art. 59b PRA
- Art. 59c PRA
- Art. 62 PRA
- Art. 63 PRA
- Art. 67 PRA
- Art. 67a PRA
- Art. 67b PRA
- Art. 75 PRA
- Art. 75a PRA
- Art. 76 PRA
- Art. 76a PRA
- Art. 90 PRA
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- Vorb. zu Art. 1 FADP
- Art. 1 FADP
- Art. 2 FADP
- Art. 3 FADP
- Art. 5 lit. f und g FADP
- Art. 6 Abs. 6 and 7 FADP
- Art. 7 FADP
- Art. 10 FADP
- Art. 11 FADP
- Art. 12 FADP
- Art. 14 FADP
- Art. 15 FADP
- Art. 19 FADP
- Art. 20 FADP
- Art. 22 FADP
- Art. 23 FADP
- Art. 25 FADP
- Art. 26 FADP
- Art. 27 FADP
- Art. 31 para. 2 lit. e FADP
- Art. 33 FADP
- Art. 34 FADP
- Art. 35 FADP
- Art. 38 FADP
- Art. 39 FADP
- Art. 40 FADP
- Art. 41 FADP
- Art. 42 FADP
- Art. 43 FADP
- Art. 44 FADP
- Art. 44a FADP
- Art. 45 FADP
- Art. 46 FADP
- Art. 47 FADP
- Art. 47a FADP
- Art. 48 FADP
- Art. 49 FADP
- Art. 50 FADP
- Art. 51 FADP
- Art. 54 FADP
- Art. 57 FADP
- Art. 58 FADP
- Art. 60 FADP
- Art. 61 FADP
- Art. 62 FADP
- Art. 63 FADP
- Art. 64 FADP
- Art. 65 FADP
- Art. 66 FADP
- Art. 67 FADP
- Art. 69 FADP
- Art. 72 FADP
- Art. 72a FADP
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- Art. 2 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 3 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 4 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 5 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 6 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 7 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 8 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 9 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 11 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 12 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 25 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 29 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 32 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 33 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 34 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
FEDERAL CONSTITUTION
CODE OF OBLIGATIONS
FEDERAL LAW ON PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL LAW
LUGANO CONVENTION
CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
CIVIL PROCEDURE CODE
FEDERAL ACT ON POLITICAL RIGHTS
CIVIL CODE
FEDERAL ACT ON CARTELS AND OTHER RESTRAINTS OF COMPETITION
FEDERAL ACT ON INTERNATIONAL MUTUAL ASSISTANCE IN CRIMINAL MATTERS
DEBT ENFORCEMENT AND BANKRUPTCY ACT
FEDERAL ACT ON DATA PROTECTION
SWISS CRIMINAL CODE
CYBERCRIME CONVENTION
- I. Genesis of the standard
- II. Implementation in the Criminal Code
- III. Commentary
- IV. Critical assessment
- Recommended further reading
- Bibliography
I. Genesis of the standard
1 On March 1, 2006, the "Marche Blanche" association submitted the popular initiative "pour l'imprescriptibilité des actes de pornographie enfantine" to the Federal Chancellery, with 119,375 valid signatures. The proposed text called for "punishable acts of a sexual or pornographic nature against children below the age of puberty" to be imprescriptible (addition of an art. 123b Cst.).
2 The Federal Council considered that this popular initiative was not likely to improve the prevention of paedocriminality. However, in view of the need to reinforce child protection, it submitted an indirect counter-proposal to Parliament in the form of a new special statute of limitations. The 15-year statute of limitations for certain serious offences against sexual integrity (arts. 182, 187 to 191 and 195 of the Swiss Criminal Code) and for the most serious offences against life and limb (arts. 111 to 113 and 122 of the Swiss Criminal Code) committed by adult perpetrators against children under the age of 16 would begin to run on the date on which the victims come of age. Where the perpetrators are minors, the limitation period would expire on the victim's 25th birthday. Parliament proposed that the initiative be rejected, and adopted the indirect counter-proposal. Should the initiative be rejected, the counter-proposal would come into force, subject to rejection by referendum.
3 At the time of the vote, the main arguments of the initiators were that the imprescriptibility provided for by the initiative (i) was justified primarily by the particular nature of the "crime of sexual act on a child", (ii) had a dissuasive effect, encouraged denunciations by victims and thus reduced the number of abused children, and (iii) represented an aid in the victim's therapeutic process, and that (iv) victims' testimonies became more numerous and more credible as time went by.
4 On the other hand, the Federal Council argued that (i) the initiative lacked clarity in its wording and proved difficult to implement, (ii) it presented risks of unequal treatment due to the fluctuating age of puberty among children, (iii) it failed to distinguish between adult and minor perpetrators, (iv) that the passage of time made it difficult to establish the facts, (v) that imprescriptibility gave victims the illusion that the state would be able to prosecute and convict perpetrators decades after the offence was committed, and (vi) that the counter-project provided more effective protection for victims.
5 On November 30, 2008, the popular initiative was adopted by 51.9% of valid ballots and 16 cantons and 4 half-cantons.
II. Implementation in the Criminal Code
6 The Federal Council was of the opinion that Art. 123b Cst. was directly applicable. Nevertheless, the solution of entrusting the criminal authorities with the task of interpreting this provision raised several problems, in view of the imprecise concepts contained in the constitutional norm. It could have given rise to different cantonal practices, resulting in legal uncertainty and unequal treatment. This solution would also have placed victims in an uncomfortable position, in that they would not have been in a position to know from the outset whether or not the offences they had suffered were imprescriptible. Finally, it would have undermined the principle of precision of the legal basis.
7 The constitutional norm has thus rightly been the subject of - exhaustive - legislative concretization in art. 101 para. 1 let. e and para. 3 phr. 3 CP, art. 59 para. 1 let. e and para. 3 phr. 3 of the Military Penal Code of June 13, 1927 (CPM) and art. 1 para. 2 let. j of the Federal Law Governing the Penal Status of Minors of June 20, 2003 (DPMin), which came into force on January 1, 2013.
8 According to art. 101 para. 1 let. e CP, sexual acts with children (art. 187 ch. 1 CP), sexual coercion (art. 189 CP), rape (art. 190 CP), sexual acts committed on a person incapable of discernment or resistance (art. 191 CP), sexual acts with hospitalized, detained or remanded persons (art. 192 para. 1 CP) and abuse of distress (art. 193 para. 1 CP), when committed on children under the age of 12. In addition, the perpetrator must be of legal age (art. 1 para. 2 let. j DPMin a contrario). Other acts that might have fallen within the scope of art. 123b Cst. according to a broad interpretation of this norm cannot be considered imprescriptible.
9 According to art. 101 para. 2 of the Swiss Penal Code, the judge may reduce the sentence if the criminal proceedings are statute-barred under arts. 97 and 98 of the Swiss Penal Code. Art. 48 let. e PC, on the mitigating circumstance of the passage of time, does not apply to crimes for which there is no statute of limitations.
10 Art. 101 para. 3 phr. 3 CP governs transitional law. Crimes for which the statute of limitations had not expired on November 30, 2008 - the day the initiative was accepted - under the law applicable at that date, are not subject to the statute of limitations. This regulation is compatible with art. 2 para. 1 PC and art. 7 § 1 ECHR, which enshrine the principle of non-retroactivity of criminal law. The ECtHR accepts the application of a longer limitation period for offences that were not yet time-barred when the new law came into force.
11 Art. 59 para. 1 let. e and para. 3 phr. 3 CPM is the counterpart of art. 101 para. 1 let. e and para. 3 phr. 3 CP in military criminal law. Under this provision, acts of sexual coercion (art. 153 CPM), rape (art. 154 CPM), acts of a sexual nature committed on a person incapable of discernment or resistance (art. 155 CPM), acts of a sexual nature with children (art. 156 ch. 1 CPM) and exploitation of a military situation (art. 157 CPM), when committed on children under the age of twelve, are not subject to the statute of limitations.
III. Commentary
A. Impubescent child
12 The notion of "impubescent child" was unknown in the Swiss legal system prior to the adoption of art. 123b Cst. From a medical point of view, puberty is the period of transition from childhood to adulthood, a process accompanied by somatic, psychological, metabolic and hormonal transformations. From a legal point of view, the definition of this notion was elaborated when the constitutional norm was concretized in the Penal Code. There was almost unanimous agreement that the implementing legislation should include a clear and easily applicable criterion, i.e. the age of the victim at the time of the offence, an age to be set according to the understanding of the notion of an impubescent child. The preliminary draft of the Federal Office of Justice proposed the age of 10, the so-called average age at which puberty begins. During the consultation on this draft, the Association of Swiss Cantonal Physicians, the University Psychiatric Services of Berne and the Swiss Federation of Psychologists criticized this choice. After pointing out that the phase of life corresponding to puberty varies from one child to the next, they advocated setting a higher limit, namely 16, 14 or 12 respectively, as the minimum age at which a child should no longer be described as "prepubescent". The age of 12 was finally adopted by the Federal Council in its Message, and subsequently by Parliament (cf. art. 101 para. 1 let. e in fine CP).
13 A motion by National Councillor Jean-Luc Addor of June 18, 2021, entitled "Extending the scope of the non-applicability of the statute of limitations to offences against sexual integrity to better protect children", called into question the implementation in the Criminal Code of the concept of "impubescent child" decided in 2012. It proposed a revision of Art. 101 para. 1 let. e of the Swiss Penal Code, raising the age limit for the imprescriptibility of such offences from 12 to 16. The Federal Council proposed that the motion be rejected. In its view, extending the statute of limitations to cases involving victims over the age of 12 would go beyond the popular initiative that led to the adoption of art. 101 para. 1 let. e CP and the aim pursued by the initiators of protecting the youngest victims, who were unaware of the unlawful nature of the acts committed and could not report them. The National Council rejected this motion.
B. Punishable acts of a sexual or pornographic nature
14 The notion of "punishable sexual or pornographic act" is not well defined in the Penal Code. The question arose as to whether this concept referred only to certain offences against sexual integrity (arts. 187 to 193 and 198 PC) or also to all or some of the punishable acts of pornography (art. 197 PC). The Federal Council's proposal was to apply the rule of imprescriptibility to sexual acts with children (art. 187 ch. 1 PC), sexual coercion (art. 189 PC), rape (art. 190 PC) and sexual acts committed on a person incapable of discernment or resistance (art. 191 PC; cf. art. 101 para. 1 let. e P-CP). Parliament added sexual acts with hospitalized, detained or remanded persons (art. 192 para. 1 PC) and abuse of distress (art. 193 para. 1 PC; cf. art. 101 para. 1 let. e PC). The concept of a "punishable pornographic act" could have been made more concrete by including the offence of pornography (art. 197 PC) in the list in art. 101 para. 1 let. e PC. Parliament decided against this, however, on the grounds that the offence was not sufficiently serious.
15 In the law revising the law on sexual matters, Parliament adapted the list of offences in art. 101 para. 1 let. e PC as follows: sexual acts with children (art. 187 para. 1 and 1bis PC), sexual molestation and coercion (art. 189 CP), rape (art. 190 CP), sexual acts committed on a person incapable of discernment or resistance (art. 191 CP), abuse of distress or dependence (art. 193 CP) and deception concerning the sexual nature of an act (art. 193a CP). The law's referendum deadline is October 5, 2023.
C. Authors
16 Art. 123b Cst. does not differentiate between adult and minor offenders. Taking into account the usual methods of interpreting constitutional norms, the Federal Council nevertheless considered it appropriate not to extend imprescriptibility to minor offenders. Despite the letter of the provision, this exclusion is fully justified from a systematic (Swiss law provides for a special regime for under-age perpetrators), teleological (the absence of any emotional or economic link between a victim and an under-age perpetrator) and historical (the absence of any public stance taken by the initiators on abuse between minors) point of view. Respect for the principles of proportionality (art. 5 para. 2 Cst.) and equal treatment (art. 8 para. 1 Cst.) also justify this differentiated treatment of minor perpetrators.
D. Imprescriptible criminal proceedings and penalties
17 Art. 123b Cst. expressly states that criminal proceedings and penalties are not subject to any statute of limitations.
IV. Critical assessment
A. Appropriateness of the norm
18 A number of studies show that many victims are subjected to offences against their sexual integrity by members of their own family or close circle. Where there is a strong emotional or economic bond between the perpetrator and the victim, the latter often finds it difficult to talk about the acts she has suffered until she has been freed from this hold and undergone psychotherapeutic treatment. This means that they can only come out of their silence many years after the abuse. The disadvantage of an excessively short statute of limitations is that it hinders criminal proceedings, enabling the perpetrator to escape punishment.
19 In its examination of the popular initiative, the Federal Council concluded that a special statute of limitations was required for the offence of "sexual abuse of a child". It noted that art. 70 para. 2 aCP provides for a 15-year statute of limitations for serious offences against the sexual integrity of a child under the age of 16 (arts. 187 and 188 CP), and that the statute of limitations runs in any case until the victim reaches the age of 25. By way of example, the victim had to act before the age of 25 if she had been subjected to acts when she was under 10, and until the age of 32 if she was 17 at the time of the offence. The legislator thus already recognized that victims should be given more time to denounce the facts. The Federal Council nonetheless admitted that this period should be extended, for example by setting the dies ad quo at the date of the victim's majority. On the other hand, it objected to the non-applicability of the statute of limitations, on the grounds that this went beyond what was necessary and was therefore disproportionate.
20 In addition to the Federal Council's justified criticisms, the initiators failed to take into account the fact that a criminal denunciation could also be made by a third party and lead, against the victim's will, to the opening of criminal proceedings. In such a situation, there is a risk that the victim will be tested rather than helped, especially as the passage of time complicates the establishment of the facts.
21 In our view, the indirect counter-proposal submitted to the Swiss electorate in 2008 would have taken sufficient account of the difficulties faced by under-age victims in reporting offences, in terms of the statute of limitations for criminal proceedings (arts. 97 and 98 of the Swiss Criminal Code). The arguments put forward by the initiators in support of non-applicability of the statute of limitations do not seem convincing to us, in particular those concerning the dissuasive effects for perpetrators and therapeutic effects for victims, as well as those relating to testimonies. As for the statute of limitations (art. 99 PC) - which begins to run on the day the judgment becomes enforceable (art. 100 PC) - only the seriousness of the offence committed should be taken into account in determining its duration. In our view, non-applicability of the statute of limitations is justified only for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and acts of terrorism (art. 101 para. 1 letters a to d PC).
B. Compatibility with international law
22 The ECtHR considers that statutes of limitation can be interpreted as imposing only a precondition for the examination of a case, and that they do not affect the exercise of the right to a fair trial (art. 6 ECHR). The imprescriptibility of criminal proceedings guarantees the victim access to a judge without temporal limitation (art. 6 § 1 phr. 1 ECHR). Moreover, it does not ipso facto lead to a weakening of the rights granted to the accused in the criminal proceedings brought against him (art. 6 § 1 to 3 ECHR). Once the facts have been reported by the victim, however, the absence of a statute of limitations should under no circumstances lead to a failure by the criminal authorities to respect the principle of expeditiousness (art. 6 § 1 phr. 2 ECHR). The non-applicability of the statute of limitations to very serious offences under ordinary law does not as such contravene the ECHR.
23 The Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse of October 25, 2007 (Lanzarote Convention; CETS no. 201) entered into force for Switzerland on July 1, 2014. Art. 33 requires member states to take legislative measures to ensure that the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution of the offences of sexual abuse (art. 18) and recruitment or coercion into prostitution (art. 19 par. 1 let. a and b) or pornographic performances (art. 21 par. 1 let. a and b) continues to run for a sufficiently long period to enable effective prosecution, after the child has reached the age of majority, and that this period is proportionate to the seriousness of the offence in question. Swiss law has been amended to make it fully compatible with the Convention. It even goes further than the Convention in the case of offences falling within the scope of art. 101 para. 1 let. e CP.
C. Effect on the civil statute of limitations
24 The imprescriptibility of criminal proceedings also has an effect on the civil statute of limitations. According to art. 60 para. 2 CO, if the harmful event results from a punishable act on the part of the person liable for reparation, the action for damages or for payment of a sum of money by way of moral reparation is time-barred at the earliest on expiry of the limitation period for the criminal action, notwithstanding paragraphs 1 and 1bis; if the limitation period for the criminal action is no longer running because a first-instance judgment has been handed down, the civil action is time-barred at the earliest by three years from notification of the judgment. This provision applies only if the facts giving rise to the loss constitute a criminal offence. If the criminal action is not statute-barred, prosecution is possible without any time limit, and the first-instance criminal judgment has no interruptive effect. The second sentence therefore does not apply, and the victim's civil claims remain imprescriptible.
About the author
Fabio Burgener holds a Bachelor's degree in law from the University of Geneva (2013), a bilingual Master's degree in civil and criminal law from the Universities of Geneva and Basel (2016) and a Certificate of Specialization in Advocacy (2015). He is a doctoral student and assistant in the Department of Criminal Law at the University of Geneva. At the same time, he is a member of the Geneva Bar and practices with the firm Keppeler Avocats. He is also a deputy judge at the Criminal Court of First Instance of the Canton of Geneva. His research and practice focus mainly on substantive criminal law and criminal procedure.
Recommended further reading
Capus Nadja, Die Annahme der Unverjährbarkeits-Initiative: Ein Kommentar zur eidgenössischen Abstimmung, Forumpoenale 2009, p. 110-115.
De Becker Emmanuel/Hayez Jean-Yves, L’enfant victime d’abus sexuel et sa famille : évaluation et traitement, Paris 1999.
Frischknecht Tom, Zur Eidgenössischen Volksinitiative « für die Unverjährbarkeit pornografischer Straftaten an Kindern », RPS/ZStrR 126 (2008) p. 434-454.
Bibliography
Asholt Martin, Verjährung im Strafrecht, Zu den theoretischen, historischen und dogmatischen Grundlagen des Verhältnisses von Bestrafung und Zeit in §§ 78 ff. StGB, Tübingen 2016.
Biaggini Giovanni, Commentaire de l’art. 123b Cst., in : BV Kommentar, Bundesverfassung der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft, 2e éd., Zürich 2017.
Capus Nadja, Die Annahme der Unverjährbarkeits-Initiative : Ein Kommentar zur eidgenössischen Abstimmung, Forumpoenale 2009, p. 110-115.
Chancellerie fédérale, Examen préliminaire de l’initiative populaire fédérale « pour l’imprescriptibilité des actes de pornographie enfantine » du 17.8.2004, FF 2004 4443 ss, disponible sous : https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/fga/2004/800/fr (dernière consultation : 18.8.2023) (cité : Examen).
Chancellerie fédérale, Aboutissement de l’initiative populaire fédérale « pour l’imprescriptibilité des actes de pornographie enfantine » du 23.3.2006, FF 2006 3529 ss, disponible sous : https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/fga/2006/386/fr (dernière consultation : 18.8.2023) (cité : Aboutissement).
Conseil de l’Europe, Rapport explicatif de la Convention du Conseil de l’Europe sur la protection des enfants contre l’exploitation et les abus sexuels, 25.10.2007, Lanzarote, disponible sous : https://rm.coe.int/16800d3891 (dernière consultation : 18.8.2023) (cité : Rapport explicatif).
Conseil fédéral, Explications à propos de la votation populaire du 30.11.2008, disponible sous : https://www.bk.admin.ch/dam/bk/fr/dokumente/Abstimmungsbuechlein/erlaeuterungen_desbundesrates30112008.pdf.download.pdf/explications_du_conseilfederal30112008.pdf (dernière consultation : 18.8.2023) (cité : Explications).
Conseil fédéral, Liste des destinataires de la consultation du 26.5.2010 sur la révision du CP et du CPM concernant la mise en œuvre de l’art. 123b Cst, disponible sous : https://www.bj.admin.ch/bj/fr/home/sicherheit/gesetzgebung/archiv/unverjaehrbarkeit.html (dernière consultation : 18.8.2023) (cité : Destinataires).
Däppen Robert K., Commentaire de l’art. 60 CO, in : Widmer Lüchinger Corinne/Oser David (édit.), Basler Kommentar, Obligationenrecht I, 7e éd., Bâle 2020.
De Becker Emmanuel/Hayez Jean-Yves, L’enfant victime d’abus sexuel et sa famille : évaluation et traitement, Paris 1999.
Denys Christian, Commentaire de l’art. 123b Cst., in : Martenet Vincent/Dubey Jacques (édit.), Commentaire romand, Constitution fédérale, Bâle 2021.
Frischknecht Tom, Zur Eidgenössischen Volksinitiative « für die Unverjährbarkeit pornografischer Straftaten an Kindern », RPS/ZStrR 126/2008, p. 434-454.
Göksu Tarkan, Commentaire de l’art. 123b Cst., in : Waldmann Bernhard/Belser Eva Maria/Epiney Astrid (édit.), Basler Kommentar, Schweizerische Bundesverfassung, Bâle 2015.
Groupe de travail Enfance maltraitée, Rapport de juin 1992, Berne FF 1995 IV 53 ss, disponible sous : https://www.bsv.admin.ch/dam/bsv/fr/dokumente/kinder/studien/bericht1992_kindesmisshandlung.pdf.download.pdf/rapport_enfance_maltraiteeensuisseavisduconseilfederaldu27juin19.pdf (dernière consultation 18.8.2023) (cité : Rapport GT 1992).
Jacquemoud Camilla, Les initiants et leur volonté, La notion de volonté des initiants et la délimitation de son influence sur le processus d’initiative populaire, Fribourg 2022.
Loftus Elizabeth F./Ketchan Katherine, Die therapierte Erinnerung, Hambourg 1995.
Maier Philipp, Die Nötigungsdelikte im neuen Sexualstrafrecht, Zurich 1994.
Message concernant l’initiative populaire « pour l’imprescriptibilité des actes de pornographie enfantine » et la loi fédérale sur la prescription de l’action pénale en cas d’infractions sur les enfants (modification du code pénal et du code pénal militaire) du 27.6.2007, FF 2007 5099 ss, disponible sous : https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/fga/2007/758/fr (dernière consultation : 18.8.2023) (cité : Message 2007).
Message relatif à la loi fédérale portant mise en œuvre de l’art. 123b de la Constitution concernant l’imprescriptibilité des actes d’ordre sexuel ou pornographique commis sur des enfants impubères (Modification du code pénal, du code pénal militaire et du droit pénal des mineurs) du 22.6.2011, FF 2011 5565 ss, disponible sous : https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/fga/2011/883/fr (dernière consultation : 18.8.2023) (cité : Message 2011).
Message concernant l’approbation de la convention du Conseil de l’Europe sur la protection des enfants contre l’exploitation et les abus sexuels (convention de Lanzarote) et sa mise en œuvre (modification du code pénal), FF 2012 7051 ss, disponible sous : https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/fga/2012/1181/fr (dernière consultation : 18.8.2023) (cité : Message 2012).
Message relatif à la modification du code des obligations (Droit de la prescription), FF 2014 221 ss, disponible sous : https ://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/fga/2014/65/fr (dernière consultation : 18.8.2023) (cité : Message 2014).
Morin Ariane, La prise en compte du droit pénal en droit de la responsabilité civile, in : Perrier Depeursinge Camille/Dongois Nathalie/Garbarski Andrew M./Lombardini Carlo/Macaluso Alain (édit.), Cimes et Châtiments, Mélanges en l’honneur du Professeur Laurent Moreillon, Berne 2022, p. 443-452.
Office fédéral de la justice, Rapport explicatif relatif à la modification du Code pénal suisse concernant le contre-projet indirect à l’initiative populaire « pour l’imprescriptibilité des actes de pornographie enfantine », Berne, janvier 2007, disponible sous : https://www.bj.admin.ch/dam/bj/fr/data/sicherheit/gesetzgebung/archiv/unverjaehrbarkeit/vn-ber-f.pdf.download.pdf/vn-ber-f.pdf (dernière consultation : 18.8.2023) (cité : Rapport OFJ 2007).
Office fédéral de la justice, Résumé des résultats de la procédure de consultation concernant l’initiative populaire « pour l’imprescriptibilité des actes de pornographie enfantine » et la loi fédérale sur la prescription de l’action pénale en cas d’infractions sur les enfants, Berne, mai 2007, disponibe sous : https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/filestore/fedlex.data.admin.ch/eli/dl/proj/6007/4/cons_1/doc_6/fr/pdf-a/fedlex-data-admin-ch-eli-dl-proj-6007-4-cons_1-doc_6-fr-pdf-a.pdf (dernière consultation : 18.8.2023) (Résumé Consultation 2007).
Office fédéral de la justice, Rapport explicatif relatif à la modification du code pénal suisse et du code pénal militaire concernant la mise en œuvre de l’article 123b de la Constitution fédérale sur l’imprescriptibilité des actes de pornographie enfantine, Berne, mai 2010, disponible sous : https://www.newsd.admin.ch/newsd/message/attachments/78018.pdf (dernière consultation : 18.8.2023) (Rapport OFJ 2010).
Office fédéral de la justice, Synthèse des résultats de la procédure de consultation relative au rapport explicatif et à l’avant-projet de loi fédérale concernant l’imprescriptibilité des actes d’ordre sexuel ou pornographique commis sur des enfants prépubères, Berne, mars 2011, disponible sous : https://www.bj.admin.ch/dam/bj/fr/data/sicherheit/gesetzgebung/archiv/unverjaehrbarkeit/ve-ber-umsetzung-f.pdf.download.pdf/ve-ber-umsetzung-f.pdf (dernière consultation : 18.8.2023) (Synthèse Consultation 2011).
Schöbi Félix, Unverjährbarkeit – Die Bedeutung von Art. 123b BV für das Haftpflichtrecht, in : Fuhrer S. (édit.), Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Haftpflicht- und Versicherungsrecht : Festschrift zum fünfzigjährigen Bestehen, Zürich 2010, p. 519-530.
Verde Michel, Unverjährbarkeit von Schadenersatz- und Genugtuungsansprüchen?, PJA/AJP 7 (2017) p. 837-843.
Vest Hans, Commentaire de l’art. 123b Cst., in : Ehrenzeller Bernhard/Egli Patricia/Hettich Peter/Hongler Peter/Schindler Benjamin/Schmid Stefan G. /Schweizer Rainer J. (édit.), St. Galler Kommentar, Die schweizerische Bundesverfassung, 4e éd., Zurich/St.Gall 2023.
Wildhaber Isabelle/Dede Sevda, Ist das neue Verjährungsrecht im Haftpflichtrecht angemessen?, in : Fuhrer Stephan/Kieser Ueli/Weber Stephan (édit.), Mehrspuriger Schadenausgleich / Des différentes voies menant à la réparation du dommage, Mit Beiträgen zum Haftpflicht-, Sozialversicherungs- und Privatversicherungsrecht / Avec des contributions en droit de la responsabilité civile, en droit des assurances sociales et privées, Zurich/St.Gall 2022, p. 298-312.
Ziegler Andreas R./Wehrenberg Stefan, Commentaire de l’art. 101 CP, in : Moreillon Laurent/Macaluso Alain/Queloz Nicolas/Dongois Nathalie (édit.), Commentaire romand, Code pénal I, 2e éd., Bâle 2021.
Zurbrügg Matthias, Commentaire de l’art. 101 CP, in : Marcel Alexander Niggli/Hans Wiprächtiger (édit.), Basler Kommentar, Strafrecht, 4e éd., Bâle 2019.