In the highly publicized trial of three social workers, the Karlsruhe District Court made a verdict that could have significant consequences for the scene. Three people remain silent about a pyrotechnic display at a football game – and are now supposed to pay.
The Karlsruhe district court has sentenced three employees of the KSC fan project to fines on charges of attempting to thwart punishment. After a pyrotechnic scandal in Karlsruher SC’s second division soccer game against FC St. Pauli in November 2022, the three social workers refused to testify as witnesses in the investigation.
The case caused a nationwide stir. And could have a signaling effect. Even if the verdict is not yet final, unrest and uncertainty in the fan projects could increase.
The verdict was “unbearable and, in the overall view, completely absurd,” said the umbrella organization of fan aids at the request of the German Press Agency. The “socially desired” work of fan project employees is “targetedly criminalized and thus made impossible. There finally needs to be a right to refuse to give evidence in social work.”
Several injured in the wildlife park
The fines range from 4,050 to 6,300 euros. 90 daily sentences were imposed each, meaning that the three people do not have a criminal record. The public prosecutor’s office had demanded higher fines. The defendants announced that they would appeal. They justified their behavior by saying that they were dependent on the trust of the fans in their work and had to protect this relationship of trust.
Almost two years ago, several people were injured in the pyrotechnic event in the Karlsruhe wildlife park. The fan project employees were questioned several times about various issues as part of the investigation, but refused to testify.
According to the statement, the court “viewed it as proven that by refusing to testify when questioned by the investigating judge, the defendants knowingly attempted to delay or completely prevent the prosecution of those involved in the pyrotechnic operation.” They were informed at the beginning of the interrogation that they were obliged to testify. They were also aware that they had no right to refuse to testify because of the risk of their own possible prosecution, just as they had no right to refuse to testify.
In social work there is only a right to refuse to give evidence in a few exceptional cases. The federal government recently spoke out against reforming the relevant legal paragraph.
jb/dpa
