Trial begins for three Hamburg police officers accused of beating G20 protester

The charges against the three officers allege joint dangerous bodily injury while in office (gemeinschaftliche gefährliche Körperverletzung im Amt). Prosecutors accuse them of striking and injuring a demonstrator on the Bismarck Monument with batons and fists without cause. "Er trug Prellungen und Hämatome davon," according to the indictment.

The case was reopened after Hamburg's General Public Prosecutor Jörg Fröhlich ordered the files of the discontinued proceedings reviewed again. During that review, the Generalstaatsanwaltschaft concluded that the officers had likely acted unjustifiably, which led to the indictment. "Zur Anklage kam es laut Staatsanwaltschaft, weil die Generalstaatsanwaltschaft während der Prüfung der eingestellten Verfahren zu der Einschätzung kam, dass die Polizisten mutmaßlich nicht gerechtfertigt gehandelt hätten," the prosecution said.

The trial had been pending for almost three years before opening. Investigators initially discontinued proceedings against the three officers along with the others, but the Generalstaatsanwaltschaft's review revived the case. "Auch die Ermittlungen gegen diese Polizisten waren eigentlich längst eingestellt worden," the reporting noted.

Apologies in court and compensation

At the start of the trial, two of the officers apologized to the victim, who was present in court, and acknowledged that their actions were not justified from today's perspective. "Zwei der Polizisten entschuldigen sich bei dem Gewaltopfer. Sie räumten ein, dass ihr Vorgehen aus heutiger Sicht nicht gerechtfertigt gewesen sei," according to the report. Each offered 500 euros in compensation (Schmerzensgeld), and one of the accused handed over the payment directly in the courtroom. "Einer der Angeklagten übergab die angebotenen 500 Euro Schmerzensgeld noch im Gerichtssaal."

The victim accepted the apologies and told the court that the words meant more to him than the money. "Das Opfer nahm die Entschuldigungen an und erklärte vor Gericht, diese bedeuteten ihm mehr als das Geld," the report stated. The contrast with how demonstrators were treated was noted in the coverage: hundreds of G20 opponents have already been put on trial, with many who threw bottles at officers receiving sometimes lengthy prison sentences.

The G20 summit in Hamburg in July 2017 was marked for days by riots and vandalism, particularly in the Schanzenviertel and Altona districts. Cars were damaged, shops were destroyed, and a bank branch burned out. According to Senate figures, security costs for the summit reached 64.7 million euros, and the interior authority estimated property damage at more than twelve million euros. Older authority figures put the number of injured police officers at 797.

Asymmetry between protester and officer prosecutions

Demonstrators also sustained serious injuries during police operations, including bone fractures and lacerations, which led to criminal complaints against officers. "Zeitgleich gab es aber auch Strafanzeigen gegen Polizistinnen und Polizisten, weil Demonstrierende bei Polizeieinsätzen verletzt worden waren," the report said. Despite the scale of those complaints, only this single indictment against officers remains. "Übriggeblieben ist eine einzige Anklage," according to the reporting.

The proceedings at the Amtsgericht Hamburg are expected to examine whether the officers' use of force against the demonstrator at the Bismarck Monument was lawful. The trial is taking place nearly nine years after the original events, a delay highlighted in the coverage. "Neun Jahre ist der G20-Gipfel in Hamburg her," the report noted. The article was sourced from APA (Austria Press Agency).

While the trial against the officers is only now beginning, trials against G20 protesters began within weeks of the summit in July 2017. "den ersten hatte es schon wenigen Wochen nach dem Gipfel im Juli 2017 gegeben," the reporting noted. The asymmetry in timing has been a recurring theme of coverage of the aftermath of the Hamburg unrest.