Trial against Neubrandenburger: Man threatened with fine for insult!

Trial against Neubrandenburger: Man threatened with fine for insult!

In the last few weeks, the situation surrounding the insults to politics in Neubrandenburg has come to a head. The case of a 30-year-old man from Strasburg, who is accused of insulting former mayor Silvio Witt in an internet post, is now the focus of the news. Nordkurier reports on a third trial within a few weeks that deals with online insults against politicians.

The trigger for these legal disputes is a dazzling “dance video” by Silvio Witt that was made public in January 2024. The video, which is said to have been made illegally at a dance event in December 2023, was published by a group called “Stable Citizens”. In a chat, the defendant, who is actually in court on Tuesday, said: “This guy should be stoned,” which the mayor finally reported.

A paradigm of insult

Interestingly, the case is not the only one that has recently affected local politics and court life in Neubrandenburg. A 36-year-old woman has to pay a fine of around 300 euros for calling Witt a “tick” on social media. NDR states that the public prosecutor sees this as a clear insult because it equates the mayor with a parasite. This shows that the disputes surrounding Witt are not just an isolated case, but are triggering a broader wave of insults against politicians in Germany.

With 5,388 crimes against politicians and public officials, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) recorded an increase of 29.1 percent compared to the previous year. According to Tagesspiegel, over half of these crimes involve insults, often anonymously on the Internet. It's not just about words; Incidents of property damage and even violence have also increased, shocking trends that are seriously disrupting many politicians' sense of security.

The overall view of the situation

Judge Fleckenstein, who has to assess the responsibility of the accused man, determined that the shitstorm following the publication of the dance video played a decisive role in Witt's resignation in spring 2025. Although the defendant expressed regret over the deteriorating situation, his responsibility remains unclear as he remains silent during the trial. He and an acquaintance are also charged with assault because they are said to have been involved in an attack in Strasburg.

The issue has the potential to influence public discussion about tolerance for offensive speech. Given the increasing number of crimes against politicians, it could turn out that the Witt case is not just a one-off incident, but rather part of a larger social phenomenon.

The trial will continue at the end of October, but the legal disputes over insults in Germany's political landscape appear to be far from over. The society behind these incidents feels called upon more than ever to advocate for respectful political communication.