The “baby beer affair” in the Innsbruck city council is being fought out in court. Initially, city councilor Gerald Depaoli (Innsbruck Court) was sentenced to 3,000 euros in damages because he apparently did not remove hateful comments against Janine Bex (Greens) on his Facebook page. Depauli appealed. It continues on Wednesday.
“I have never experienced it in this form – that someone then tries to defend such insults,” says lawyer Maria Windhager. She represents GR Janine Bex (Greens), who was the victim of several hate comments on the Facebook page of city councilor Gerald Depaoli. Because such hate comments are illegal on the Internet and because Depaoli, as the site operator, was legally obliged to remove the comments, but did not do so, he was sentenced to 3,000 euros in damages (initially not legally binding).
Depauli appealed
Depaoli appealed and the case will be heard again on Wednesday. “I am sure that the verdict will stand in principle, because it is practically the prototype of hate speech,” Windhager explains. “Women don’t have to put up with such rude insults.”
The backstory is well known: Depaoli posted a photo of Bex with the baby and a non-alcoholic beer on Facebook, noting that neither the beer nor the baby had any place in the city council. So after he “forgot” to note that the beer was non-alcoholic, Bex was insulted in the worst way on the Facebook page.
It is usually arranged quickly
Hate comments can have serious consequences for victims. “The most important thing for those affected is that such content is quickly removed from the Internet, and then the matter is usually resolved quickly. If someone refuses for so long and there is no insight whatsoever, you should seek legal help. It was a big effort for my client to take this step, because you expose yourself again,” Windhager reports.
“This is why so many are hesitant to take this to court. The cost risk is also a problem. It shows to me that we still have a long way to go. I am a realist because unfortunately I have to deal with the topic of hatred on the Internet a lot.”
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
