New details have emerged regarding the controversial house search of a 17-year-old in Menden, North Rhine-Westphalia, which has since been declared unlawful. Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) revealed during a session of the state parliament’s Interior Committee in Düsseldorf that a “clear bias” had been identified in a police officer involved in the initial investigation. This officer reportedly conducted preliminary inquiries independently and without official authorization, even requesting a cell phone tower data analysis.
Christina Kampmann, the interior policy spokesperson for the SPD parliamentary group in North Rhine-Westphalia, commented on the unfolding events, stating they were becoming “increasingly bizarre”. She questioned the use of cell phone tower analysis, typically reserved for crimes of significant gravity, in connection with graffiti incidents-however distasteful. Concerns have been raised that authorities may have overstepped boundaries, failing to adhere to principles of proportionality and the rule of law.
The police officer in question, who is also a local CDU politician, is now subject to scrutiny regarding potential “personal motivations.
The initial incident involved police searching the home of a then-minor Juso politician following allegations that she had defaced walls and surfaces at a campaign event for former Union candidate Friedrich Merz in Menden. The graffiti included phrases such as “Geh weg, Fascho-Fritz” (“Go away, Fascist Fritz”), “Hau ab Merz” (“Get out Merz”), “Ganz Menden hasst die CDU” (“All of Menden hates the CDU”) and a declaration of support for Antifa.
The unlawful search warrant was approved by a judge at the Arnsberg district court-where Charlotte Merz, the wife of the current Chancellor, serves as director. She has stated that she was unaware of the warrant. The search warrant was subsequently revoked by the Arnsberg Regional Court in August.
