Former AfD Candidate Investigated for False Accusation After Alleged Attack
2 sources · Germany
Who reported this
- Der Spiegel
- Sueddeutsche Zeitung
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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The Traunstein public prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into Michael Maurer, a former AfD mayoral candidate for Rott am Inn, on suspicion of false accusation. The investigation follows an incident on February 28 at a campaign stand in Rosenheim, where Maurer claimed he had been attacked by three young left wing activists. The prosecutor's office has dropped the bodily harm investigation against the accused activists due to proven innocence.
Video evidence and testimony from two uninvolved witnesses indicate that no one pushed Maurer or tripped him. According to the prosecutor's office, Maurer participated briefly in a scuffle involving a protest banner, lost his balance, and fell forward. The authorities stated that no active influence on the candidate by another person could be established and that the left wing individuals remained passive or moved away from him.
Maurer declined to comment on the proceedings to the dpa news agency, stating he did not know the concrete allegations and wished to let the matter rest. The prosecutor's office noted that the proceedings against Maurer are in the early stages and the presumption of innocence applies. Both reports note that Maurer subsequently lost the mayoral election in Rott am Inn.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- Outlets with a center-left lean framed the incident as a theatrical fabrication by the AfD candidate to falsely victimize himself.
Sources
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