A Bavarian woman who was fined €6,000 in 2023 for calling German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock a “hollow brat” on X has been acquitted after a district court trial, reigniting discussions on the use of judicial resources in handling online insults against politicians.
The woman, whose tweets included comments such as “this hollow brat is a danger to our country,” faced criminal charges filed by Baerbock herself. The tweets, one of which had only 216 views, were in response to the foreign minister’s appearance at the G20 summit.
The accused, who works with disabled children, had faced severe consequences by having a criminal conviction, prompting her to appeal despite warnings from the court that it might result in significant costs.
During the hearing on Monday, a police officer who handled the initial complaint testified. The judge proposed halting the proceedings in exchange for a €1,000 donation to a children’s charity, but the prosecutor declined, citing the Bavarian judiciary’s commitment to combating online hate speech.
The case continued, highlighting the extensive work required in such investigations, including tracking IP addresses and conducting house searches, often involving multiple officers and considerable time.
After a two-hour hearing, the judge acquitted the woman, declaring the state treasury responsible for the costs.
The case has drawn public scrutiny, with critics questioning whether the prosecution of minor online offenses justifies the heavy demand on judicial and law enforcement resources.
Defense lawyer Udo Vetter criticized the system, revealing that Germany faces over 140,000 open arrest warrants for insults against politicians. He described the strain on police and prosecutors, with routine cases requiring extensive resources better spent addressing serious crimes.
“Officers tell me that these petty cases are getting incredibly on their nerves. They say: ‘You can’t be serious! Crime is rising, and we’re wasting countless hours on this,’” he told Nius.
“Crime is getting out of hand and everything is going down the drain, and we have to spend so many, countless hours of work with such things — wasting our time,” he added.
The acquittal has been seen as a welcome dose of common sense within a nation that critics argue is becoming increasingly draconian — a trajectory fuelled primarily by politicians who attempt to censor citizens who disagree with them.
Earlier this month, Remix News reported how a 64-year-old pensioner who retweeted a meme of Green Economy Minister Robert Habeck, in which Habeck was described as an “idiot,” was arrested by Bavarian police and had his home raided.
The crime has even been recorded as a “politically motivated right-wing crime.”
The man has been accused of distributing a photo of Habeck via retweet, where Habeck is described as an “idiot.”
The Bamberg prosecutor’s office claims that this constitutes a federal criminal offense of “hatred.”
This isn’t a new phenomenon, but it is becoming increasingly more frequent. In March 2022, Remix News reported how over 100 people had seen their homes raided across Germany for “insulting” politicians, with police instructed to conduct a nationwide crackdown on what they say is “hate mail” targeting those in public office.