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The mayor of Lausanne, Grégoire Junod, police chief Pierre-Antoine Hildbrand and the commander of the Lausanne Metropolitan Police, Olivier Botteron (from left to right), announced sanctions against police officers on Monday.
Keystone
A scandal involving racist and discriminatory messages in private WhatsApp groups is causing a stir in Lausanne. The first police officers have already been suspended - the city has announced far-reaching reforms.
Racist, sexist, anti-Semitic or discriminatory messages circulated among Lausanne police officers in WhatsApp groups. The city administration is deeply shocked and is taking action, in particular with a first series of suspensions.
The two private WhatsApp groups had six and 48 members respectively. Not everything has been analyzed yet, but the City of Lausanne has already suspended four people. Further suspensions will follow in the next few days, as the city councillor responsible for the police, Pierre-Antoine Hildbrand (FDP), announced at a media conference on Monday.
In addition to these suspensions, which could later lead to dismissals, criminal investigations are also underway.
The city administration also wants to carry out a "far-reaching reform". For Mayor Grégoire Junod (SP), "there is a problem of systemic discrimination" that needs to be resolved.
"This case is seriously damaging the image of the Lausanne police", said Hildbrand.
25.08.2025, 15:27
25.08.2025, 15:45
