After several people replaced a rainbow flag in front of a shop in Hausen near Forchheim with a German flag, the Bamberg public prosecutor’s office has now closed the investigations in the case. There was “no public interest” in pursuing charges, the agency said, according to Nürnberger Nachrichten (paywalled article).
The act occurred last year, just before Christmas, at Manuel Heilmann’s bicycle shop. The individuals had gained unauthorized access to the company premises. They could be identified from video footage, but their identities have not been made public to date. They no longer have to fear criminal consequences after the case was closed.
After Heilmann made the incident public on social media, he reportedly became the target of further intimidation: unknown individuals stickered his company vehicle and mounted a rainbow-colored dildo on the hood. These acts likewise have so far not resulted in any criminal proceedings against specific individuals.
Heilmann said he would forego a private lawsuit against the people responsible for the flag stunt. “According to my lawyer, the private-prosecution route would have little chance of success, so I will refrain,” he told the Nürnberger Nachrichten. In at least one case, there was a consequence: the public prosecutor’s office imposed a fine on a man from Heroldsbach who Heilmann says insulted him on Facebook. The amount was not disclosed to Heilmann.
Heilmann, who has sat on the city council for the Greens since the municipal election in March, remained unfazed by the incidents and had the rainbow flag reinstalled. “The intimidation did not achieve its aim,” he told the newspaper. “It’s worth standing your ground.” (mize)
