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Activist on a so-called tripod (archive picture): The police have been clearing the Dannenröder forest for days
Photo: Boris Roessler / dpa
The public prosecutor's office in Giessen initiated proceedings against a police officer after a demonstrator fell several meters down in the Dannenröder forest - because of the initial suspicion of negligent bodily harm in office.
This was communicated by the law enforcement authorities and the police and at the same time declared: "So far there have been no indications of any deliberate action by the officer."
The 20-year-old fell about three to four meters from a so-called tripod - a three-legged frame - on Sunday morning and suffered serious injuries.
The woman was being treated in the hospital, there was no danger to her life, the message said.
Police officers observed the incident from about 20 meters away, immediately provided first aid and called the emergency services.
After that, the area was cordoned off as a crime scene and officials from the Hessian State Criminal Police Office and the Southeast Hesse police headquarters took over the investigation.
Policeman reported himself to investigators
According to the findings so far, the 40-year-old officer, who was about 30 meters away from the tripod, discovered a rope at head height.
"This rope was neither marked nor apparently had a recognizable connection with the occupied structure," the message said.
"As far as we know, there was actually a link between the rope and the tripod." Activists announced on Sunday that all safety ropes in the forest were marked accordingly.
In the previous days, several traps, for example in the form of wire ropes, had been found at head height, the investigators said.
"In order to prevent such risks for everyone present in the forest, the officer who had reported to the investigators on his own initiative during yesterday afternoon cut the rope."
In the Dannenröder forest near Homberg / Ohm in the Vogelsberg district, trees are being cleared for the further construction of Autobahn 49.
Against this, environmental and climate protectionists protest, who have kept the forest occupied for more than a year.
After completion, the motorway will connect Kassel and Giessen more directly with one another.
Construction is scheduled to begin in September 2021, with 27 hectares of forest being cleared by February.
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wit / dpa / AFP