Dresden Regional Court: Resetting the Safeguard for Criminal Justice - A man is ordered to serve time behind bars for assaulting a political figure.
The perpetrator couldn't understand why he committed the crime, it wasn't politically driven, according to the defendant. He felt embarrassed and even offered an apology to the victim during the court hearing. The judge referred to an "endless hatred" that had targeted the municipal official. He also considered this "hostility towards individuals with contrasting viewpoints" when deciding the sentence. The suspect had previously been known for his disrespectful actions.
In the trial, media showed up with the municipal politician on her campaign trail as only a few days back, the Dresden European parliamentarian Matthias Ecke (SPD) had been assaulted late at night by a group of young men. On a video, you can also hear how before the attack, they shouted Nazi slogans and "only the AfD" (Alternative for Germany, a far-right political party). The 47-year-old was also subjected to verbal abuse and spitting from one of the perpetrators.
