Kesb Linth wants to take legal action against Obersee Nachrichten

Obersee Nachrichten has been conducting a "massive campaign" against the Linth Child and Adult Protection Authority (Kesb) and its president Walter Grob for over a year, the town of Rapperswil-Jona announced on Thursday. The extent and aggressiveness of the campaign could not be justified by public interest or media freedom. Kesb Linth has therefore initiated legal proceedings against the weekly newspaper for violation of personality rights. The first step will now be arbitration proceedings.

Described as a "secret authority

According to the communiqué, the city wants to restore the good reputation of an impeccably functioning authority. The Obersee Nachrichten had described the Kesb as a "secret authority" that works against the interests of the citizens. The president of the Kesb was portrayed as "a leader with no integrity, obsessed with power, incompetent and therefore completely unsuitable". Last year, the cantonal supervisory authority reviewed both the cases criticized by Obersee Nachrichten and the way Kesb Linth operates. The result was that the Kesb had acted correctly and proportionately.

Allegations rejected

In a press release published on Thursday afternoon, Obersee Nachrichten rejected the accusations: the newspaper had "reported on incomprehensible, contradictory and legally questionable Kesb activities and decisions". It should not be the case that the President of the Kesb and his authority acted outside of media monitoring. It is important to report on the activities of the child and adult protection authority. "The victims of questionable Kesb measures usually only have the opportunity to defend themselves through the press," writes publisher Bruno Hug in the press release. Obersee Nachrichten belongs to Somedia and covers the upper Lake Zurich region and the Linth area in the cantons of St. Gallen and Schwyz. It has a circulation of just under 70,000 copies. The editorial office is based in Rapperswil-Jona. (SDA)