Political vandalism in Bernkastel: torn out election posters!

Political vandalism in Bernkastel: torn out election posters!

In the night of Thursday, February 6th, numerous election posters from various parties were damaged or demolished in the urban area of Bernkastel-Kues. The police discovered the destroyed posters on the morning of February 6, which resulted in the investigation due to property damage in five cases. The current state of the investigation has so far shown no evidence of the perpetrators or their motif.

The Bernkastel police inspection therefore asks the population for help. Witnesses who can provide relevant information are asked to report to the police by telephone. It remains to be seen whether the investigators can gain further knowledge in the next few days.

political dimension of property damage

Incidents of the property damage of election posters are not an isolated case. An example from Reutte illustrates this: On September 12th, several FPÖ election posters were sprayed there with a black color. Two unknown perpetrators had defaced the posters and then fled with bicycles. The FPÖ plans to file a complaint against unknown persons, while in the past it reported a significant destructive rate for her posters. According to the party, about 70 percent of their posters were stolen, smeared or destroyed.

Fabian Walch, the Oberländer top candidate and district chairman of Reutte, has commented on the incidents and calls for the conviction of the political competitors who may support such acts. He also announced a bonus of 500 euros for information on the perpetrator's captivation. The FPÖ also calls on the population to report information to the next police station as quickly as possible.

legal framework and consequences

The damage of election posters is considered property damage and is punishable in accordance with Section 303 (1) of the Criminal Code (StGB). A potential sentence is a fine or even a prison sentence of up to two years. In cases where anti -constitutional symbols are affected, the punishment can be up to three years of deprivation.

Although the material value of an election post is usually only a few euros, it remains the property of the respective party. Hanging and taking out election posters is also considered theft, which can also have criminal consequences. In practice, many parties refrain from reimbursing advertisements against unknown persons, since the chances of clarification are often low. Nevertheless, the destruction of election posters does not remain a cavalier offense, as the legal provisions clarify.