Schwyz cheese dairy operator charged with involuntary manslaughter
Published: Tuesday, Mar 26th 2024, 11:10
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The public prosecutor's office in Schwyz has brought charges against a former cheese dairy operator in 20 cases in summary proceedings. He is accused of multiple counts of involuntary manslaughter and assault due to listeria in cheese. The presumption of innocence applies.
The public prosecutor's office for the canton of Schwyz is demanding a conditional prison sentence and a conditional fine, as announced on Tuesday. They consider it proven that the owner of the business did not adequately comply with his duty to inspect foodstuffs.
Between 2018 and 2020, a total of 34 consumers of the cheese fell ill with a listeria infection, according to the report. The charges include negligent homicide in seven cases, negligent bodily harm in 13 cases and negligent violation of the Foodstuffs Act.
Proceedings were dropped in ten cases because, according to the public prosecutor's office, the listeria infection was not the cause of the health problems suffered by the victims or the victims' relatives had not filed a criminal complaint. In four other cases, the personal details of the victims were not known.
Older cases discovered during analysis
The listeria in products from the now closed cheese dairy in Steinerberg SZ was discovered during an inspection in May 2020, as the public prosecutor's office announced at the time. As a result, all customers were asked to remove the products from their range. The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office issued a public warning.
On the basis of a scientific analysis initiated on behalf of the federal government, it would have been possible to establish links to cases of illness in 2018, as the Keystone-SDA news agency was informed at the time on request.
The cantonal chemist of the original cantons filed a criminal complaint against the cheese dairy operator in July 2020. The public prosecutor's office opened criminal proceedings in August. The investigations by the public prosecutor's office and the Schwyz cantonal police have since been concluded, as detailed in the press release issued on Tuesday.
In people with an intact immune system, infection with listeria is usually mild or even asymptomatic. In immunocompromised people, however, the bacteria can cause a number of severe symptoms, which could possibly lead to death.
©Keystone/SDA
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