The accused Olaf G. (left) together with his lawyer on the way to the courtroom Photo: mofoto
By Karin Hendrich
Because of leisure fun. In the wave pool at Spreewaldplatz (Kreuzberg), three guests got together in such a way that they now met again in front of the district court: Olaf G.* (51) as the accused. And the friends Tina I.* (50) and Maria W.* (56), whom the employee is said to have insulted in the worst possible way. Just because they wanted to swim in circles…
“I’ve been swimming for an hour. In lanes!” he explained to the judge. “When the two ladies splashed into the water.” He pointed out: “Follow the rules. There are extra areas for circle swimmers.”
Angry about the ignorance of the admonished and their intervention with the lifeguard, he said, “You’ve got a real bird,” escaped him. “Not punishable as freedom of expression.”
Tina I., on the other hand, wants to have heard worse (“you have to be really fucked up …”): “I was outraged by this contempt for women.” “I felt really threatened.”
The summoned police put an end to the swimming lesson, but initially tried to calm things down. But instead of the proposed apology (Tina I.: “Then I would have dropped the ad”), lane swimmer Olaf counter-reported defamation.
The judge: “The witnesses are credible, with no great tendency to incriminate.” Her verdict: 900 euros fine for insult.
*Names changed