Health-related cultic deviances: A comparison between France and Switzerland

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, French health authorities have been concerned about cases of therapeutic abuse, particularly those linked to unconventional healthcare practices (UCHPs; the term for “complementary and alternative medicines” chosen by the French Ministry of Health and Prevention). In Switzerland, recent publications issued by MIVILUDES (Inter-Ministerial Mission for Monitoring and Combating Cultic Deviances—a French governmental anti-cult agency) on the “rise in health-related reports” have triggered a major political debate, leading to questions about the Swiss approach. France and Switzerland are both faced with the challenge of regulating UCHPs, but approach the definition of “cultic deviances” (dérives sectaires) differently. In Switzerland, a cultic deviance is seen pragmatically, as a legally reprehensible act committed in the context of religious beliefs. In France, since the About-Picard law of 2001, the term cultic deviance has also included the psychological notion of mental control. In terms of cultic risk management, the Cross-Cantonal Information Center on Beliefs (CIC) in Switzerland, an independent and neutral institution, focuses on prevention, awareness-raising, and public education. The CIC’s efforts are based on in-depth surveys backed by scientific expertise. France, for its part, tends to be more restrictive and punitive in tackling cultic deviance, an approach confirmed by the fact that MIVILUDES has been attached to the French Ministry of Interior since 2020. Reports published by MIVILUDES present analyses based on imprecise data, and do not benefit from scientific expertise. These reports are the subject of active communication that is widely covered by the media, therefore lending a role of political influence to the agency.