After allegations of beatings, the koblenz public prosecutor’s office is investigating two police officers for bodily harm in office. There is a suspicion that the two on 22. may had beaten and kicked a 27-year-old man they had provisionally arrested for alleged crimes, the public prosecutor’s office in rhineland-palatinate announced on thursday. The basis for the investigation is a video published on the internet by the "rhein-zeitung" (coblenz). Several uniformed men can be seen, two of whom are kicking and punching a man sitting on the ground.
Rhineland-Palatinate’s interior minister roger lewentz (SPD) was appalled and called for the incident to be fully investigated. "i was shocked by what i saw there," he said in mainz. "violent acts of this kind are unacceptable to me – neither from the police nor against police officers."the incident must be fully investigated by the public prosecutor’s office.
The civil servants were immediately transferred to internal service, a suspension also has to be considered. "what you see there makes you very doubtful whether that was a mission-related necessity," lewentz said. He did not give any further details on the content of the incident. This is a matter for the public prosecutor’s office. It was initially not possible to find out what the persons concerned think of the accusations.
the day before, the public prosecutor’s office had started investigations against the two uniformed officers and at the same time initiated separate proceedings against two other police officers – a man and a woman – for obstruction of justice. According to the public prosecutor’s office, there is suspicion that they neither intervened during the kicks and punches of their colleagues nor filed a complaint against them afterwards. Disciplinary investigations have been initiated against the four officials, the authority announced.
"we want a comprehensive clarification of the facts," said police president horst eckhardt, according to the release. For this reason, he informed the public prosecutor’s office immediately after the allegations became known. The outcome of the investigation will also determine the disciplinary status of the officers.