Public prosecutor's office - Investigations discontinued after incident with Chrupalla
Following the hospital treatment of AfD chairman Tino Chrupalla due to an incident at an election campaign event, the public prosecutor's office has closed the investigation. No evidence of a criminal offense could have been found, senior public prosecutor Veronika Grieser announced on Wednesday. The AfD chairman criticized the decision.
On October 4, Chrupalla had to cancel an election campaign appearance in Ingolstadt for the Bavarian state elections that were to take place a few days later. Before his speech, he was taken to hospital and temporarily monitored in intensive care due to symptoms. After a day, he was able to leave the hospital again. Doctors discovered a puncture in Chrupalla's right upper arm.
Chrupalla speaks of an "attack"
The AfD leader spoke of an attack that had been carried out on him. "Overall, this attack on me is to be seen as an attack," he said a few days after receiving treatment in hospital in Berlin.
However, the public prosecutor's office assessed the incident differently. The authorities emphasized that no "act that could lead to the conclusion of an "attack" could be established". "The possibility that the injury was inflicted by an unknown person while on Theaterplatz in Ingolstadt cannot be ruled out," explained the senior public prosecutor. "However, the investigations have not revealed any concrete evidence or indications of such an assault during the visit to the election campaign event or in the immediate run-up to the visit."
Forensic experts prepare expert opinion
Among other things, the public prosecutor's office is relying on an expert opinion from the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. The experts assume that the stab wound was five millimeters deep. It is assumed that Chrupalla was stabbed in the arm with a pin needle. The broad head of such a needle could have prevented a deeper puncture. There are no indications that Chrupalla was injected with poison. Chrupalla' s complaints also did not indicate poisoning.
The public prosecutor's office emphasized that a number of people who were present at Ingolstädter Platz had been questioned as witnesses. These included Chrupalla's office manager and four bodyguards from the Federal Criminal Police Office. In addition, two television stations and several witnesses had provided 10 videos and 42 photos, which had been analyzed.
"There were no other useful investigative approaches," said the spokeswoman for the public prosecutor's office. Chrupalla's lawyer had sent suggestions for evidence to the investigators at the end of November. However, this did not provide any indications for a further investigation.
Chrupalla wants to examine further legal options
"On the one hand, it is positive that the stabbing with a needle or similar object has now been confirmed as part of the investigation," commented the AfD leader. However, he finds the closure of the investigation inexplicable, as he believes that "information requested from other authorities is still outstanding to this day".
"With the help of a lawyer, we are now waiting for the announced granting of access to the files," explained Chrupalla. His aim is to exhaust all possibilities for clarification and, if necessary, to prepare an appeal against the dismissal.
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- Despite the closure of the investigation by the public prosecutor's office, Tino Chrupalla, the leader of the AfD, intends to explore further legal options.
- Before his speech in Ingolstadt for the Bavarian state election, Chrupalla was taken to the hospital due to symptoms and was found to have a puncture in his right upper arm.
- The investigation into the incident with Chrupalla, which led to his hospitalization, was carried out by the public prosecutor's office in Germany.
- Chrupalla's office manager and four bodyguards from the Federal Criminal Police Office were among the persons questioned by the public prosecutor's office as witnesses.
- The public prosecutor's office in Ingolstadt could not find any concrete evidence or indications of an assault during Chrupalla's visit to the election campaign event or in the immediate run-up to the visit.
- The AfD chairman, Tino Chrupalla, criticized the decision of the public prosecutor's office to close the investigation, as he believes that information is still outstanding from other authorities.
- The incident with Chrupalla at the election campaign event in Ingolstadt led to the cancellation of his appearance and caused a stir in the German political scene.
Source: www.stern.de
