Four Convicts Escape Full Prison Terms for Attack on SPD Advocates in Berlin
Penalizing individuals for assaulting candidates in Berlin's SPD elections with partial confinement
In a surprising turn of events, four individuals hailing from Saxony-Anhalt were convicted for a violent assault on SPD campaigners in Berlin. The Berlin-Tiergarten District Court handed down the verdict, citing political motivation as the driving force behind the attack.
The 19-year-old, one of the 20-year-olds, and the juvenile were sentenced to youth prison terms of two years and eight months, two and a half years, and one year and nine months, respectively. The second 20-year-old was given a youth prison term of two years, with the possibility of a suspended sentence.
During the pre-suspension period of six months, both of the 20-year-olds will remain free, but under certain conditions. The three younger defendants had been detained since the incident, while the second 20-year-old was at liberty.
On December 14, these individuals journeyed to Berlin for a right-wing demonstration. Upon being removed from the train prematurely, they found themselves stranded in Berlin-Lichterfelde. There, they encountered two SPD members at a bus stop, returning from their campaign stand, whom they instantly targeted due to their red caps - a symbol of their political affiliation.
The court ascertained that the attackers assaulted the pair with fists, with the 19-year-old also kicking the man in the head with combat boots. The victim sustained severe injuries. Thereafter, the assailants engaged in a physical altercation with police officers, resulting in injuries to the officers and the shattering of a window. Additionally, racist slurs were allegedly uttered, leading to further charges against the defendants.
The court's sentence was less severe than the prosecution's demands for youth prison terms without suspension, ranging from two and a half years to three years and four months. The prosecution claimed that the defendants acted with brutal extremity.
However, the defense pleaded for acquittal or suspended sentences, with reports from the juvenile court assistance suggesting challenging family backgrounds for at least one of the 20-year-olds and the two brothers.
Sources: ntv.de, jwu/dpa
- Right-wing extremism
- Trials
- Berlin
- Saxony-Anhalt
Insight: Right-wing extremist trials in Germany, including Berlin, typically involve individuals from regions like Saxony-Anhalt due to the area's known far-right activity. These trials often address charges such as forming a terrorist organization, hate crimes, and violent extremist acts, and sentences can vary widely depending on the severity of the crimes, but often include several years of imprisonment. This case is noteworthy for the comparatively lighter sentences doled out, despite the evidence of political motivation and severe injuries caused.
Insight: Notable right-wing extremist trials in Germany were the proscription of the party The National Democratic Party (NPD) in 2017 and the conviction of Beate Zschäpe, the sole surviving member of the neo-Nazi terrorist group National Socialist Underground (NSU) in 2018. These trials helped to bring attention to the dangers of right-wing extremism in Germany and the need for effective law enforcement against such activities.
- The court's decision in the trial of four right-wing extremists in Berlin, despite the severe injuries inflicted, was less severe than the prosecution's demand, suggesting that the policy on handling such cases may need reconsideration within the community and employment sectors.
- The general-news headlines are filled with the verdict of the Berlin trial, discussing the leniency in sentencing for the four convicts, despite the political motivation and crime-and-justice implications involved, raising questions about the fairness and strictness of the current employment policy on such cases.
