The Zurich Film Festival is ending its partnership with the chocolatier Läderach. This decision follows a documentary by German-speaking television SRF revealing the mistreatment of students in an establishment linked to the brand.
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“The SRF documentary shocked everyone,” wrote the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) in a press release on Saturday. According to this investigation, students at a private school founded in 1995 by an evangelical community in Kaltbrunn (SG) and headed by former business manager Jürg Läderach were systematically beaten.
“After a frank exchange”, the two partners decided together to end their partnership, continues the ZFF, which the day before said it was taking on this sponsorship. “Although no criticism is made of the current management of Läderach, the suffering of the alleged victims is nevertheless associated with the name of the family and the company,” write those responsible for the festival.
External investigation report
The SRF documentary, the result of two years of investigative work, points the finger at the “Christliche Schule Linth” (Christian Linth School), called “Domino Servite” (Serve the Lord) at the time of its creation. Former students testify about the belt blows they received or the psychological violence they suffered.
Former business leader Jürg Läderach has rejected accusations that he personally participated in mistreatment. An external investigation commissioned by the school, following initial research by the SRF, confirmed the misconduct of former teachers and members of the religious community.
Following the external report, the main person concerned apologized to the victims and said he regretted not having detected what was happening there. In January 2022, his school presented a plan of measures to prevent this kind of abuse in the future.
One of Jürg’s sons, Johannes Läderach, has been running the chocolate factory headquartered in Bilten (GL) since 2018. He told Tamedia online media that he himself attended the school and can confirm the climate of fear. If he was not hit, the fact of not having been able to prevent the abuse weighs on him.
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