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Murders prompt Swiss gun review | Murders prompt Swiss gun review |
(about 3 hours later) | |
The Swiss parliament is due to debate whether to end the unique practice that requires soldiers to take their guns and ammunition home with them. | The Swiss parliament is due to debate whether to end the unique practice that requires soldiers to take their guns and ammunition home with them. |
Every Swiss man has to serve in the army, which means that millions of assault rifles and ammunition are stored in homes across the country. | |
This contributes to an astonishingly high number of family killings. | This contributes to an astonishingly high number of family killings. |
Every day someone shoots themselves. About every four weeks a man shoots his wife, his children or usually himself. | Every day someone shoots themselves. About every four weeks a man shoots his wife, his children or usually himself. |
'Impenetrable wall' | 'Impenetrable wall' |
Until now these tragedies have not attracted much attention, but the killing earlier this year of ski star Corinne Rey-Bellet by her estranged husband caused public outrage. | Until now these tragedies have not attracted much attention, but the killing earlier this year of ski star Corinne Rey-Bellet by her estranged husband caused public outrage. |
The man used his officer's pistol to shoot Corinne Rey-Bellet, her brother and her mother. | The man used his officer's pistol to shoot Corinne Rey-Bellet, her brother and her mother. |
Now there is a motion in parliament to end the practice of handing out ammunition and to create a central register of gun owners. | Now there is a motion in parliament to end the practice of handing out ammunition and to create a central register of gun owners. |
But these proposals, supported primarily by women, have run into an impenetrable wall of tradition. | But these proposals, supported primarily by women, have run into an impenetrable wall of tradition. |
The Swiss defence minister has already rejected them, saying guns and ammunition belong together. | The Swiss defence minister has already rejected them, saying guns and ammunition belong together. |
And Switzerland's powerful gun lobby says it views any restrictions as an insult to the hundreds of thousands of Swiss men who have always behaved responsibly. | And Switzerland's powerful gun lobby says it views any restrictions as an insult to the hundreds of thousands of Swiss men who have always behaved responsibly. |