SonntagsBlick suicide reporting admissible

The Swiss Press Council rejects the complaint of the health department of the canton of Zug against the SonntagsBlick supplement Sie+Er. A report on suicides that mentions and depicts the scene of the crime is permissible as an exception if the suicides committed there have caused a public stir and triggered at least regional discussion, the Press Council justifies its decision. Suicide reporting
Although it must be restrained and respect the privacy of those affected and their relatives, it is permitted if its primary purpose is to demand structural measures to counter the attraction of the crime scene. In October 2005, Sie+Er published a report with text and pictures on the repeated suicides at the Lorzentobel Bridge in the canton of Zug. The magazine called on the cantonal authorities to install safety nets on the bridge. The Zug Health Directorate lodged an appeal against this with the Press Council. She+He had not adhered to the restrictive recommendations on suicide reporting and had increased the risk of imitation. The Press Council has now rejected this complaint.