Scratch that Scandal: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's Environment Minister Till Backhaus Clears Name, Prosecutor's Charges withhold
- 1 Min
Minister Backhaus of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania issues legal action warning over environmental matters - Environmental Minister of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Backhaus, faces potential legal action
Breathe a sigh of relief, folks! It looks like Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's Minister of Agriculture and Environment, Till Backhaus (SPD), is off the hook for that wolf-killing controversy, as the prosecutor's charges seem to have hit a dead end.
Initially, it was speculated that Backhaus was going to face charges for violating the Federal Nature Conservation Act. The Prosecutor's Office in Rostock had accused him of influencing the killing of a protected wild animal. However, in an unexpected turn of events, these prosecution plans appear to have been scrapped, as per a recent statement from the Prosecutor's Office.
Intriguingly, the reason behind this sudden change of heart seems to revolve around an autopsy report that revealed the wolf in question was not pregnant, contrary to initial reports. Backhaus had previously defended the shooting on the grounds that the wolf had shown aggressive behavior towards a farm dog and posed a risk of creating wolf-hybrid offspring, jeopardizing the wolf population.
Legal Committee Unmoved by Immunity Lift Saga
Meanwhile, the Legal Committee of the Schwerin state parliament has refused to lift the immunity of Backhaus, who is also a member of the state parliament. This decision comes amidst speculation that the committee might reconsider in light of the prosecutor's charges. However, with the charges now seemingly withdrawn, it seems the committee's decision remains firm.
Luckily for Backhaus, it appears the wolf shooting saga is now a thing of the past. But don't forget, the mud wasn't entirely scrubbed off his paws. The ministry and the district of Rostock filed an appeal with the Federal Administrative Court following the Higher Administrative Court of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's declaration of the shooting as illegal back in February of this year. However, the prosecutability of the shooting no longer seems to be a concern, given the Prosecutor's Office's decision to drop the charges against Backhaus.
- Till Backhaus
- Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- District of Rostock
- Rostock
- SPD
- Wolf
- The Commission has also been consulted on the draft decision regarding Till Backhaus, the underscored Minister of Agriculture and Environment in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, as his name was cleared due to the prosecutor's charges being withdrawn in the wolf-killing controversy.
- The General News and Crime & Justice sections might want to take note that the withdrawal of charges against Till Backhaus in the much-publicized wolf shooting incident has led to the prosecutability of the shooting no longer being a concern.
- Despite the charges against Till Backhaus being dismissed, he still faces an appeal with the Federal Administrative Court, as the Ministry and the District of Rostock are challenging the Higher Administrative Court of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's declaration of the shooting as illegal.
- The Legal Committee of the Schwerin state parliament, despite speculation, remains firm in their decision to not lift Till Backhaus's immunity, even though the prosecutor's charges against him have been dropped.
