Wildbach illegally excavated - Defendants remain silent during the Rappenalp Scandal trial
Two Alp masters, who are alleged to have caused an environmental scandal by working on a mountain stream in Oberstdorf's Rappenalptal two years ago, remain silent in court regarding the accusations. The public prosecutor accuses them of deliberate endangerment of protected areas and deliberate water pollution in the ongoing trial at the Kempten District Court. Both men, aged 59 and 64, face prison sentences. The defendants initially made no statements in response to the charges, and further court dates are planned for August.
The two unpaid officials of two Alp cooperatives are accused of ordering excavation work and significantly altering the strictly protected Rappenalp Bach to their disadvantage. The damages, which the prosecutor claims they had foreseen and accepted, include partial canalization and the construction of high dams, which had significant impacts on nature: The protected stream could no longer overflow its banks, branch out, or form islands - to the detriment of various habitat types.
The incident began with a storm in the summer of 2022, which caused damage to the riverbanks, which belong to the two cooperatives. The Landratsamt Oberallgäu granted individual measures, as stated in the indictment, to restore the damage.
Once the work had begun, however, the Landratsamt issued a building stop. The scope of the work exceeded the agreed-upon limits. There followed accusations between the Alp farmers and the authorities. The Administrative Court found errors on both sides in a separate proceeding. The Alp managers and the authority agreed to finance the restoration work jointly.
- Despite being in the Rappenalp Valley, near Kempten and Oberstdorf in Bavaria, the two Alp masters remain silent in the face of criminality charges related to the wildbach, allegedly causing environmental damage two years ago.
- The Criminality case, currently being heard at the Public Prosecutor's Office in Kempten, involves the two men, aged 59 and 64, for deliberately endangering protected areas and polluting water, facing potential prison sentences.
- The environmental scandal stems from their involvement in an incident involving the wildbach in Oberstdorf's Rappenalp Valley, where they ordered excavation work and significantly altered the stream, leading to significant damage to nature.
- The defendants have thus far been silent in response to the charges, with further court proceedings planned for August in the District Court of Kempten.
- The alleged actions of these men in Bavaria's pristine Rappenalp Valley have led to damages, including partial canalization and the construction of high dams, which have severely impacted the wildbach's environment and various habitat types.
