According to the organisers, this is a reaction to a documentary by Swiss public television SRF about child abuse accusations at a private school. The SRF documentary broadcast on Thursday “stirred everyone up”, the film festival said in a statement.
After an “open exchange”, the festival and the chocolate company “jointly decided to end their partnership”.
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SWISS drops chocolate maker accused of homophobia
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Swiss International Air Lines has severed links with Läderach after negative headlines about the CEO’s opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion.
Although there were no accusations against the current Läderach management, “the suffering of the alleged victims is associated with the family and company name”, wrote the management of the festival, which will start next week. Läderach would have been a partner of the festival for the first time this year.
Corporal punishment
Jürg Läderach, patron of the chocolatier until 2018, co-founded the evangelical school “Domino Servite” (Serve the Lord) in Kaltbrunn in canton St Gallen in 1995. In the SRF programme “Dok”, former pupils talked about beatings with belts and living in a climate of fear in the religious institution.
Johannes Läderach, head of the company based in Bilten, in canton Glarus, since 2018, told Swiss newspaper group Tamedia that he attended this school himself. He could confirm the climate of fear, but he was not been beaten there.
He was burdened by the fact that he wasn’t able to prevent the abuse. A 2019 investigation triggered a change within the Free Church, as the church leadership resigned. He separated from this denomination.
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Swiss chocolatier denies being homophobic and misogynist
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Johannes Läderach, an evangelical Christian, has defended his opposition to same-sex marriage and a woman’s right to have an abortion.
Swiss myths fall apart at the Zurich Film Festival
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From a portrait of ‘national painter’ Albert Anker to a fascist-hunting Heidi, the ZFF offers unconventional approaches to Swiss history.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.