The Stuttgart public prosecutor’s office has filed charges against the police inspector of the state of Baden-Württemberg. He is charged with a crime of sexual coercion, the public prosecutor announced on Wednesday.
According to the investigation, the 49-year-old, who has since been suspended, is said to have sexually molested a police officer in Stuttgart almost a year ago. He is accused of “knowingly taking advantage of the fact that, due to his professional position, he was able to cause the police officer considerable professional disadvantages in the event of resistance,” the public prosecutor said. The district court of Stuttgart must now decide whether and when to start a main trial.
The inspector has been under investigation since November 23, 2021. The country’s top police officer has been suspended over the allegations.
Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) has also been under pressure because of the matter for a long time – according to his own statements, he had passed on a letter from the inspector’s lawyer to a journalist. According to Strobl, however, he wants to pay a fine to end a preliminary investigation against him. The opposition is demanding his resignation. However, the green-black coalition in the southwest has closed ranks behind Strobl and rejected a motion to dismiss the CDU politician.
In addition, a committee of inquiry is currently examining sexual harassment by the police, as well as the practice of promotion and Strobl’s actions.
