Harassment and coercion Head of tourism in Valais convicted several times resigns
Yannick Buttet is stepping down as President of the Valais Chamber of Tourism. The former National Councillor has already been convicted twice.
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- Yannick Buttet is stepping down as President of the Valais Chamber of Tourism.
- He has already been convicted twice.
- Now he has lost the support of the board.
Yannick Buttet is stepping down as President of the Valais Chamber of Tourism, as announced on Tuesday evening. The former CVP National Councillor, whose appointment had sparked a controversy, realized that he no longer had the support of the board.
At its meeting on Tuesday evening in Sion, the board "thoroughly analyzed the political and media situation" that had arisen as a result of Buttet's election as president of the Chamber of Tourism, according to a statement from the private-law association.
The Chamber of Tourism (WTK) had unanimously elected Buttet as president at its general assembly on June 18 in Saas-Grund VS, despite his two convictions, one for sexual harassment and one for coercion.
In his new role, he would indirectly be the boss of his victim, as the Sonntags-Blick newspaper reported. Criticism of the election came from his party, the Center Party (formerly CVP), among others. Christina Bachmann-Roth, President of Mitte Frauen Schweiz, told the newspaper that it was a scandal that Buttet was once again given a prestigious job within the probation period and would indirectly become the boss of his victim.
Also resigned from the National Council
Buttet was President of the JCVP of the Monthey district, President of the JCVP Valais romand and Vice-President of the CVP Valais romand. From 2013 to 2020, he was mayor of Collombey-Muraz. In October 2011, Buttet made the leap into the National Council, but resigned in December 2017 under pressure from allegations of stalking and sexual harassment.
In summer 2020, a female politician made allegations against Buttet that he had verbally and physically harassed her. The CVP announced that Buttet would not be standing on the CVP list in the municipal elections next fall. Buttet then decided not to run again for mayor of Collombey-Muraz in the fall.
In November 2021, Buttet was sentenced to a conditional fine of 45 daily rates with a probation period of four years for sexual harassment.
