RSR: BoD launches investigation into child pornography affair

 
The Board of Directors of Radio Télévision Suisse Romande (RTSR) is launching an independent investigation into the affair surrounding child pornography images at Radio Suisse Romande (RSR) in order to restore the trust that was thought to have been lost. The affair has been weighing on the staff and management of RSR for weeks, the SRG announced on Monday. "With new statements and speculation appearing practically every day, media and public interest is being fed, the management is being restricted in its operational activities and the reputation of the media company is potentially being tarnished," the press release states, according to SDA. As soon as RTSR Chairman Jean François Roth and SRG Director General Armin Walpen have appointed an independent person, this person will start work. This person will investigate and assess the entire affair from 2005 to the present day. The affair flared up again at the beginning of March when the computer scientist at RSR, who had discovered the images on an employee in 2005, made the matter public. An investigating judge then intervened. The computer scientist was dismissed. The employee who had downloaded the images from the Internet had been warned by the RSR management in 2005. He was also placed on probation for three and a half years. The RSR management based its decision on the opinion of experts who came to the conclusion at the time that the photos were "a borderline case" but not relevant under criminal law. The experts now deny having delivered a serious expert opinion. They feel instrumentalized by the RSR management in the affair.