Dietmar Brockes: Investigations against FDP politicians after the incident at Oktoberfest

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Member of Parliament Brockes in December 2021 in the North Rhine-Westphalian state parliament

Photo: Malte Ossowski/SVEN SIMON / imago images/Sven Simon

The Munich public prosecutor's office has initiated preliminary proceedings against Dietmar Brockes, member of the North Rhine-Westphalian state parliament.

A spokeswoman told SPIEGEL.

The politician is accused of assault.

Brockes is said to have been involved in an argument with two other Wiesn visitors at the Munich Oktoberfest in early October.

A lawyer for the FDP politician told SPIEGEL at the time that his client had become the victim of an attempted theft.

A woman and her companion tried to steal the MP's mobile phone.

Brockes caught the two in the act and photographed them “for the purpose of preserving evidence”.

The two then tried to delete the photo;

In the scuffle, Brockes is said to have "touched the woman's face with the palm of his hand."

Police charged with the investigation

According to the public prosecutor's office, the police have now been commissioned to investigate.

A notification had previously been sent to the President of the State Parliament of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

This so-called verification process results from the immunity that is intended to protect elected officials against politically motivated lawsuits.

After a waiting period of 48 hours, the investigation could begin.

Brockes' lawyer told SPIEGEL in October that his client had filed a criminal complaint with the Munich police headquarters.

Brockes spoke out "strictly against violence as a means of resolving conflicts" and welcomed the fact that the events were being clarified in an objective process.

When SPIEGEL asked Brockes again, he said he expressly welcomed "the fact that the events are being subjected to an objective assessment by the public prosecutor's office."

He does not want to provide any further information "out of respect for the investigating public prosecutor's office".