"The actions of a public service must be allowed to be criticized"
The fact that a daily newspaper criticizes the actions of an office is not only permissible, but desirable, the Press Council states in a statement on a complaint against 24 Heures and therefore does not address the complaint.
The case: The father of a foster family was convicted of pedophilia. 24 Heures reported on the trial and then took an in-depth look at the question of how something like this could happen. The journalist interviewed the head of the Vaud Youth Protection Authority and other external experts. She also addressed differences of opinion within the youth protection authority regarding the care of the girl who had been placed with this family.
The considerations of the Press Council: The 24 Heures article respects the privacy of the people involved. Neither the family, nor the girl, nor employees of the youth protection authority are identifiable. The head of the youth protection authority has been given the opportunity to comment. Certain external experts voiced criticism, pointing out in particular the problem of negation by professionals. For the head of the authority for the protection of minors, who appealed to the Press Council, the article of 24 Heures has caused great damage, especially towards the girl. The Press Council acknowledges that the reporting of such a matter can have an impact on the parties involved. However, in the case at hand, the public interest clearly outweighs this. The journalists had proceeded with the necessary sensitivity in their research. The Press Council therefore rejected the complaint.
