Those who engage in politics and take to the streets for their convictions often do so out of a feeling that the fundamental promise of equality within the law is not being fulfilled, or is even being deliberately violated.
A demonstration is, in this regard, a special place for democratic debate.
It places civil society and the state executive directly under a microscope. A field of tension arises where citizens exercise their rights to freedom and the state executive accompanies, protects, or restricts these assemblies.
This conflict can escalate into an incident documented in an investigation file within a short period of time.
The accusations of resistance against law enforcement officers (§ 113 StGB) or assault on law enforcement officers (§ 114 StGB) are repeatedly made in this context.
The line between a tense encounter with police officers and a criminal act can sometimes be a matter of mere nuances.
What exactly constitutes an enforcement officer within the meaning of the regulations? When is an action considered an enforcement measure? What are the requirements imposed by law and case law for „resistance“? And when does a mere touch become an assault?
A first informative anchor:
1. Resistance against law enforcement officers, § 113 StGB
Pursuant to Section 113(1) of the German Criminal Code (StGB), any person who offers resistance with violence or the threat of violence to an official or a member of the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) who is empowered to enforce laws, statutory instruments, judgments, court orders, or administrative decisions, during the performance of such official duty, shall be liable to imprisonment for up to three years or to a fine.
1.1 What is an enforcement officer?
A bailiff within the meaning of Section 113 (1) of the German Criminal Code (StGB) is understood to be a public official who is appointed to enforce a concrete sovereign act of the state (e.g. laws). This does not include all public officials, but only those persons who are authorised to enforce a specific measure in a particular individual case.
What is decisive, therefore, is not solely an abstract, general regulation of competence, but the concrete competence in the respective enforcement process.
As enforcement officers, police officers, bailiffs, customs officials and prison officers, in particular, are to be considered.
1.2 What is a concrete enforcement action within the meaning of § 113(1) of the German Criminal Code (StGB)?
As a fundamental prerequisite, § 113 (1) of the German Criminal Code (StGB) assumes the commencement or immediate imminence of a concrete enforcement action by an enforcement officer.
Enforcement action is taken when the state realises its concretised regulatory will for the enforcement of a specific sovereign act against a person or thing, enforcing it by compulsion if necessary.
In contrast, mere preparatory actions, general presence measures, surveillance measures, or police escorts that merely serve the purpose of hazard prevention are insufficient. According to case law, the mere observation of persons in order to be able to intervene at a later point in time, if necessary, does not constitute an enforcement action.
Tip: Merely accompanying a demonstration march does not regularly constitute an act of enforcement within the meaning of Section 113 (1) of the Criminal Code.
Tip: The fact that some police officers turn up in a cordon formation does not regularly justify an enforcement action. The legal classification is not based on the organisational form of the police operation, but on its objective. A police cordon can also serve exclusively observational, security, or escort functions. It remains crucial whether a specific state will to regulate is being enforced against a particular person.
1.3 What is understood by resistance within the meaning of Section 113 (1) of the Criminal Code?
Resistance within the meaning of Section 113(1) of the Criminal Code is understood as active behaviour directed against the enforcement action, which, according to the perpetrator's perception, is suitable and intended to make the performance of the official act more difficult or even prevent it.
A purely passive approach is fundamentally insufficient for this.
The resistance must also take place in one of the legally prescribed forms of commission, i.e. through violence or the threat of violence.
Violence is understood as an exertion of force caused by active conduct, directed against the official and capable of preventing or hindering the carrying out of the enforcement action.
The action does not necessarily have to be directed immediately against the officer's body. It is also sufficient if there is an indirect action against the enforcement officer, for example, through an act directed against property, provided that this is physically perceived by the officer.
However, a purely psychologically induced act of violence against property is not sufficient.
Tip: Mere flight from police officers, simple refusal to comply with a request, turning away, or merely evading a loose grip do not typically constitute violence within the meaning of § 113 StGB.
A threat of violence within the meaning of Section 113 (1) of the German Criminal Code (StGB) exists if the perpetrator holds out the prospect of a future evil which they at least pretend to be able to influence. The threatened evil must specifically consist of the use of violence. A threat of other disadvantages is not sufficient.
Tip: Mere expressions of displeasure or general verbal aggression do not regularly fulfil the elements of a threat of violence.
2. Assaulting officials, § 114 StGB
Pursuant to Section 114, Paragraph 1 of the German Criminal Code (StGB), anyone who physically assaults a public official or a member of the German armed forces (Bundeswehr) who is empowered to enforce laws, statutory instruments, judgments, court orders, or official directives, in the course of carrying out their official duties, shall be punished with imprisonment of three months to five years.
But what is understood by an assault within the meaning of § 114 of the German Criminal Code?
The concept of a physical assault should be interpreted restrictively, given the significantly increased penalties under Section 114 (1) of the German Criminal Code.
With the introduction of Section 114 of the German Criminal Code (StGB), the legislator created a separate criminal offence which subjects certain attacks on law enforcement officers to a significantly higher penalty than Section 113 of the StGB. However, this increased penalty presupposes that the offence in question only applies when there is a correspondingly enhanced level of criminal culpability.
Previously, a physical assault was understood to mean hostile action directed immediately at the body of an official. However, in view of today's systematic approach and the considerably increased penalties, this broad understanding requires a more restrictive interpretation. Not every minor physical contact with a police officer can justify a physical assault.
The protective purpose of the norm also argues for a restrictive interpretation. The legislator particularly intended to cover serious attacks on law enforcement officers and to create a heightened threat of punishment for such acts compared to Section 113 of the Criminal Code.
Therefore, an action of a certain significance is required, which, in its concrete design, is capable of actually and not merely insignificantly impairing the protected legal interests.
This post is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. It cannot and is not intended to replace individual legal advice in specific cases. Every situation has particularities that may require a different legal assessment. To assess your personal situation and develop a solution tailored to your case, obtaining qualified legal advice is recommended.