2024-08-15 08:01:48
The case concerns the suspicion of possession of images of child abuse: the public prosecutor’s office in Thuringia has now seized data storage devices.
After the immunity of a member of the Thuringian state parliament from the Left Party was lifted, the public prosecutor’s office is conducting an investigation into the suspicion of obtaining and possessing images of child abuse, colloquially known as child pornography. “Evidence has been secured,” said the Erfurt public prosecutor’s office spokesman when asked. The investigation was initiated directly after the immunity was lifted by the responsible state parliament committee on Tuesday. The name of the politician in question is not yet publicly known.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, there were five court search warrants against the suspected MP. Two rooms in the state parliament, his apartment and two constituency offices were searched by the police. The evidence seized included computers and other data storage devices. They are now being evaluated. The suspicion is both the acquisition of child pornography and its possession.
According to information provided by Left Party parliamentary group leader Steffen Dittes on Platform X, the MP who is under investigation has announced that he is resigning from all his positions in the party and parliamentary group. This also applies to his activities in the state election campaign. The case came in the middle of the election campaign – a new state parliament will be elected in Thuringia on September 1st.
The entire leadership of the Thuringian Left Party reacted with shock and dismay to the allegations. If the allegations are true, he expects harsh consequences, wrote Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow on X. “It must be clarified quickly, completely and consistently.” Dittes and the party leadership assured the police and public prosecutor of all support.
The incident is also politically bitter for the Left: For years, the party has been campaigning for better prosecution of the possession and distribution of child abuse images, as Dittes wrote on X. This year, five new positions were created for this purpose in the State Criminal Police Office.