Police search office of Thuringian leftist MP
Police Raid on a Left Party MP's Office in the Thuringian State Parliament; Allegations of Child Pornography Involvement Surface Mid-Election Campaign
Police have raided the office of a Left Party MP in the Thuringian State Parliament. According to dpa reports, the investigation relates to child pornography allegations. Other locations were also searched. The MDR had previously reported on this. According to their information, the politician had accessed relevant forums using an IP address from the state parliament.
The Erfurt Public Prosecutor's Office initially declined to comment on the investigation. However, a spokesperson for the authority did not deny a corresponding MDR report. The case has surfaced right in the middle of the election campaign - a new state parliament will be elected in Thuringia on September 1st.
Thuringia's Minister President Bodo Ramelow, also a member of the Left Party, expressed shock at the allegations. "Until the matter is clarified, the affected MP should suspend all offices and duties," Ramelow wrote on X. If the allegations prove true, he expects severe consequences. "Law and order also apply to politicians," Ramelow emphasized. "It must be clarified quickly, thoroughly, and consistently," he demanded.
Fraction Supports Public Prosecutor's Office
The Thuringian Left Party faction leader, Steffen Dittes, expressed shock. "The severity of the criminal charge is appalling," he wrote in a statement. It is now the task of the public prosecutor's office and the police to clarify the criminal charge thoroughly. "As a faction, we guarantee full support for the investigative work of the public prosecutor's office and the police and will continue to do so in the further course of the investigation."
The two co-chairs of the Left Party in Thuringia, Ulrike Grande-Röthig and Christian Schaft, also expressed shock. "We explicitly ask for restraint in public handling of the matter regarding the family of the MP," they stated. They support the investigative work of the public prosecutor's office and the police, and the matter must be clarified thoroughly. "Until the matter is clarified, it is a matter of course for us that the MP suspends his work and activities in the faction and in the ongoing election campaign with immediate effect."
The raid on the office was conducted at the Left Party MP's desk in the Thuringian State Parliament. Despite the ongoing investigation, the Left Party faction has pledged their full support to the Public Prosecutor's Office, aiding in the clarification of the situation.
