The inspector of the police in Baden-Württemberg has been acquitted in the process of sexually assaulting a commissioner. That was decided by the district court of Stuttgart on Friday. The country’s highest-ranking police officer was accused of urging a significantly younger commissioner to perform sexual favors in front of a Stuttgart pub. The judge said it was an acquittal for lack of solid evidence. It could well be that the accused sexually assaulted the police officer, but that could not be conclusively determined. In case of doubt, a decision must be made in favor of the accused.
This ends, at least for the time being, a procedure that caused a stir in the highest circles of police and state politics. It was about alleged abuse of power by the police, possible career advantages and a pub night in November 2021.
The complainant had accused the top official of urging her to touch his penis in front of the restaurant. Before and after that, the two had been filmed in the pub exchanging affections by a surveillance camera over the counter. At the time, the policewoman wanted a career in higher service, and he had promised her support.
The recording of the pub night, which lasted several hours and was played in full in court, played an important role in the verdict. According to the judge, what the accused reported during the first police interrogation about the evening contradicted what she said in court after viewing the video recordings. That makes their statements unbelievable. The complainant initially said that she felt disgusted when the inspector told her about his “urine sex” preferences. But even after returning from outside, when the crime is said to have happened, the two of them continued to cuddle on the recording, according to the judge.
The spectators in the hall groaned several times when the verdict was pronounced and expressed their incomprehension, the judge had to interrupt his verdict several times and urged silence. The inspector’s defense lawyer then accused the press outside the courtroom of one-sided reporting on her client.
The public prosecutor had demanded a suspended sentence of one year and three months and a fine of 16,000 euros for sexual assault. Now the inspector who has been released from duty is still facing disciplinary proceedings.
Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) had already publicly announced that it would be difficult for him to imagine the inspector returning to office – regardless of the outcome of the court case.
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