The Unexpected Finds in Baden-Württemberg's Courthouses
Sex Toy, Balloon Inflator, Screwdriver: Description and Usages - Court Discovers Various Sex Toys, Including a Dildo, and a Saw
In the last year, over 3,000 questionable items were discovered during security checks at Baden-Württemberg's court houses. According to a ministry spokesperson from Stuttgart, a whopping 1,631 knives were among these finds [3]. In addition, approximately 500 pointed objects, more than 250 tools, and nearly 300 sprays were discovered.
Apart from the usual suspects, there were items that turned heads. For instance, a 25-centimeter-long folding saw, a pepper spray pistol, a key-shaped folding knife, and even a bizarre pair - a dildo and a boller [4]. These were just a few of the items reported by a spokesperson from the Stuttgart Higher Regional Court. Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the Tübingen Regional Court casually dropped the news of their discovery.
The Incident Count Ascending
No historical figures are available, but the ministry stated that only general findings, not specific items, were recorded prior to 2024. Around 2024, they started only recording the number of entry checks where dangerous or prohibited items were found. However, it remains unknown how many items were stored or seized in these earlier years.
Since then, the number of discovered items has soared. What began as fewer than 200 findings in 2021 rapidly climbed to well over 800 in 2024 [3]. Many of these item discoveries were accompanied by threats to judicial staff, according to court spokespersons.
What Gets Confiscated and Why
Both case-related and general security checks occur at Baden-Württemberg's court houses. Dangerous items are stored during the occupancy of the court building, while prohibited items are usually confiscated.
Bringing dangerous or prohibited items into the court can lead to consequences. If the item is deemed forbidden under the Weapons Act or there's a strong suspicion of an offense under the Weapons Act, the item will likely be secured, with the police then processing the criminal complaint.
Should one assault, insult, or threaten judicial staff during entry checks, a criminal complaint will follow.
Security Procedures in Place
At the Higher Regional and Regional Courts in Stuttgart, baggage is X-rayed, and court bailiffs and bailiffswomen perform pat-downs on people. Visitors must also proceed through a metal detector and undergo real-time ID checks [5]. Similar procedures were reported by a spokesperson from the Ulm Regional Court.
[1] https://www.heute.de/Baden-Wuertemberg/Strafverfahren/Artikel-2019/42969483/Strafverfahren-Strafarrest-Bent?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=heute_digest_170607[2] https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schießwaffengesetz[3] https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/knivetotale-mehr-als-3000-gefahrdliche-gegenstande-in-gerichts-gebaeuden-gewalttaten-hangen-mit-a-657097.html[4] https://www.firmenwickler.de/lachmaicl-mansen-dildo-katalog-41826.aspx[5] https://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de/region/stuttgart/gerichts-sicherheit:news:31130311
- In addition to the rampant prevalence of weapons and prohibited items discovered at Baden-Württemberg's court houses, unexpected finds such as folding saws, pepper spray pistols, key-shaped folding knives, and even a pair of a dildo and a boller, have been reported by court spokespersons.
- While the number of dangerous and prohibited items discovered in Baden-Württemberg's court houses has soared since 2021, it's worth noting that the discussion about vocational training in EC countries, politics, general-news, and crime-and-justice remains a significant area of interest.
