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New Year's Eve hooligans: brutal attacks on police officers in Marktheidenfeld!
Main-Spessart public prosecutor's office charges five people with violent breach of the peace on New Year's Eve.
New Year's Eve hooligans: brutal attacks on police officers in Marktheidenfeld!
Not only in Cologne, but also in other cities, violence against emergency services is becoming increasingly worrying, especially on New Year's Eve. Recent incidents in Marktheidenfeld highlight this tense situation. According to inFranken, the public prosecutor's office has brought charges against five people between the ages of 16 and 52 who are to be held responsible for serious breach of the peace. While the incidents in Marktheidenfeld occurred at the turn of the year 2024, the issue of violence against police officers is a Germany-wide problem that cannot be ignored.
A particularly striking case concerns a 14-year-old who reported a non-existent fight on January 1, 2024. This led to a police patrol consisting of three officers having to be deployed. On site they encountered around 20 aggressive people, including two 18-year-olds, who fired rocket batteries at the emergency vehicle. This is just the beginning of a series of serious allegations that are now being dealt with in court.
The allegations in detail
The charges include not only the misuse of emergency calls, but also breach of the peace. According to Fachanwalt, breach of the peace is a crime that is directed against public peace or public order and in which acts of violence are committed from a crowd. The legal consequences can include up to three years in prison or even longer prison sentences in particularly serious cases.
In this particular case, around ten to 15 people expressed solidarity with a 52-year-old who was being stopped for urinating in public. He is now also charged with breach of the peace. In addition, another 18-year-old is on trial for threatening and insulting police officers, with two officers injured during his arrest.
A nationwide problem
The incidents in Marktheidenfeld are not an isolated case. Across the Federal Republic, violence against police officers increased sharply on New Year's Eve. According to Bild, numerous police officers and emergency services were attacked in Berlin alone on New Year's Eve. The Berlin police recorded 37 injured officers and numerous attacks with fireworks. In cities such as Hamburg, Leipzig and Weimar, security forces also had to go to shelters to protect themselves from the attacks.
Originally, 12 suspects were identified in Marktheidenfeld, three of whom had their cases discontinued due to their criminal incompetence. The number of suspects identified has now grown to 15, with allegations ranging from breach of the peace to violations of the Explosives Act to incitement to hatred. Investigations related to these acts stem from a series of aggressive behaviors that included the use of pyrotechnics against police authorities.
This alarming development is clearly a wake-up call for our society to focus more intensively on the protection of law enforcement officers and take preventive measures. At a time when violence against police officers is increasing throughout Germany, it is clear that there is a need for action. The race against the clock has begun and a comprehensive intervention from a wide range of actors is required to ensure safety for everyone once again.