Krone court journalist Anja Richter comments on the first verdict in the Florian Teichtmeister case.
76,000 images of serious child sexual abuse, some accompanied by sadistic fantasies of violence. Tens of thousands of victims, mostly girls under the age of 14, have been recorded by Florian Teichtmeister on 22 data carriers. The photos and films show minors who have been abused because people like him feel turned on by them and want to see them suffer.
At 1:29 p.m., the judge pronounced the suspended sentence. Unless he relapses, the ex-Burgstar won’t have to spend a day in jail or an institution. The fatal signal to the violated children and their families: your suffering and your torments result in such a mild sentence. The message to the perpetrators: Even if you get caught, not much will happen to you.
But it is wrong to project the anger only on the unmasked Florian Teichtmeister. “Child pornography is now a mass phenomenon,” a well-known lawyer commented dryly after the trial. “It was clear it was going to be a suspended sentence, as is always the case with first-time offenders.”
I find that really outrageous: why is it always like this? What went wrong with the legislation?
The trial will not put Teichtmeister behind bars, but will hopefully eventually lead to a tightening of §207a in the Penal Code. Because child pornography as a mass phenomenon is unacceptable.
Source: Krone
I am George Kunkel, an author working for Today Times Live. I specialize in opinion pieces and cover stories that are both informative and thought-provoking – helping to shape public discourse on key issues. My work is regularly featured across the network’s many platforms, including print media and social media.
