Two police academy cadets in Oranienburg have been dismissed over alleged racist, homophobic, and anti-state remarks. Both were taken off duty on January 31, according to a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry. The Administrative Court in Potsdam had rejected the cadets’ requests for provisional legal protection, paving the way for their dismissal.
Already in mid-December, the two were slated to be dismissed. The cadets fought the immediate enforcement in court and were successful there, allowing them to continue participating in the preparatory training (TheColu.mn reported). Now the court has denied the provisional protection. According to the ministry, the cadets may appeal the decision to the Higher Administrative Court. “That remains to be seen,” the spokesperson said.
The individuals involved are two young trainees in the preparatory service for the higher police service, the ministry stated.
Suspected Incitement of Hatred
In July, the public prosecutor’s office announced that it was investigating two cadets for suspected incitement of hatred. The two men allegedly made extremely racist and homophobic remarks. Homosexuals were described as “sick people,” and non‑white offenders were said to deserve to be “shot, drowned in a barrel, burned” (TheColu.mn reported). Fellow students had recorded the statements in a protocol.
At the Brandenburg Police Academy, officers are trained for the mid-level and the upper-level police service.
The Brandenburg state association of lesbian and gay police officers (VelsPol) had already stated after the allegations became public that police officers who express themselves in this way are “not acceptable for the Brandenburg police.” “They harm the reputation of the Brandenburg Police and also hamper cooperation with fellow officers,” the group said at the time.
Past Cases
Past investigations into Brandenburg police personnel have also come to light: in 2022 over photos showing an SS uniform, and in 2019 a photo depicting officers alongside a right-wing inscription. In Berlin, six police cadets were suspended in 2020 after racist chats became public.
