Touched "without reason"

Activist touched intimately again – wins lawsuit

(Bild: Jennifer Kapellari)

Another case of police assault was heard by the Vienna Regional Court: A climate activist was allegedly groped "without reason" by a policewoman in her private parts after a protest in police custody. The act was deemed unlawful by the Vienna Administrative Court.

This is the third time that the Last Generation activists have won a case of this kind. The victim this time was 25-year-old activist Jelena Saf. A similar incident took place in May last year. At that time, activist Laila Fuisz (23) was also allegedly groped on her vulva and buttocks by a police officer. She also won the case in December.

Activist had to pull down her underpants
Lawyer Clemens Lahner explained on Tuesday: "The Vienna Administrative Court declared both the order to pull down the underpants and the pat-down through the underpants unlawful, as well as the fact that the officer left the door open when she left the room." According to the lawyer, Saf did not have enough time to put her clothes back on, which would have allowed people passing by to see her undressed.

I don't even want to imagine what could happen to people in custody who, like us, are unable to defend themselves

Aktivistin Jelena Saf

Jelena Saf not very euphoric about her success
The 25-year-old commented on her success in court with little euphoria: "Our protests seem to expose structural abuses in the way the police treat citizens. I don't even want to imagine what could happen to people in custody who, like us, can't defend themselves." The young woman emphasized that all these humiliating measures by the police would not be necessary "if the government finally acts and enshrines a basic right to climate protection in the constitution, our protests will stop immediately. And with it these unnecessary arrests and humiliations".

Commenting on the court's legally binding decision, lawyer Lahner added: "The law does not end at the threshold of the police detention center, but also applies to the police."

Activist Laila Fuisz (23) won a similar case last December. She was patted down in the vulva and buttocks area.

(Bild: Letzte Generation AT)

Superglue suspected in underwear
In September and December last year, the Provincial Administrative Court also ruled in similar cases that such police measures, such as nude examinations, are unlawful. Before Fuisz (23) won the case in December, there was a similar success in court at the end of the summer.

The victim was a 24-year-old activist. He was also forced to take off his underpants during a demonstration last spring. The police defended themselves by claiming to have suspected superglue in the man's underwear.