Ravensburg - Outside in front of the multi-generation house Gänsbühl, diagonally opposite the district court, there is a stand where expired or sorted out food is given away, with banners like "Every food has a right to be eaten", Essen-Retten-Gesetz-now ' or the question Is garbage save theft?aware of oneself.A whole crate of zucchini and cucumbers has just been brought over, and you can't tell why they aren't being sold.For the grocery stores, it is rubbish that even has to be disposed of for a fee.A passer-by, who is accused of having stolen groceries, is outraged: "No, I don't think so".This evidence, did Samuel Bosch and Charlie Kiehne steal groceries?, is later discussed inside the district court, room 8.Schneider received the penal order from the public prosecutor's office: joint theft.The trial can draw few facts from the testimony of the prosecution's only witness.The policeman from Weingarten Benjamin Kretzer checked the two accused in their vehicle on the night of February 4th and 5th this year and found rolls, salads and packaged goods from "Netto" and "Norma" in it after being told by an employee was called to Weingarten by "Burger King", who claims to have seen the two accused in the neighboring container of the Lidl market.When asked by the accused, who are defending themselves, Kretzer confirms that he has no certainty as to how the food confiscated during the check came into the possession of the accused.He also did not complete the investigation, but handed it over to colleagues from state security.With this thin body of evidence, it quickly became clear to the judge that there was no complaint from a food chain, only the public prosecutor's office had an interest in the prosecution.Therefore, she proposes hiring according to § 47, since she has no interest in a sanction due to the insignificance of the matter and the expected punishment.But Bosch and Kiehne don't want to get involved, they want to be acquitted and submit a series of applications to prove their innocence.It is not just inspections of websites that show that food is saved without getting into containers, that access to the container in question is locked by "Lidl", and the charge of witnesses and site inspections.All of this goes beyond the scope of the scheduled hearing, which is therefore scheduled for 28.7.11 a.m. is adjourned.During the continuation of the hearing, Nazim Kocak, who had called the police, now testified that he had seen 2 people running to the "Lidl" loading ramp with a wooden box.He also knows how to identify the "blue vehicle" that the police later stopped.He hasn't seen people get into a bin and only assumes there are food bins by the ramp.The second witness, a co-activist, was absent due to illness, and if the defendants Bosch and Kiehne had not admitted the crime now, the judge would have scheduled a hearing for the next day."We don't want people who support us to get into such a conflict situation and have to testify against us, so we prefer to incriminate ourselves. We have definitely achieved one goal, the public prosecutor's office has learned and taken care of relevant evidence, that was our condition for a conviction."explains Charlie Kiehne.The public prosecutor's office also made it clear that the food had not been continuously cooled and that there was a "health hazard".From the point of view of the food rescuers, the public prosecutor's office denies people the ability to distinguish bad food from good food.The judge encouraged the activists on this point: "In my view, the health hazard is questionable," said Dr.Schneider in the verbal reasoning.At the end of the trial, the two accused were each sentenced to 10 hours of community service.They must complete this by September 30, 2022.In their last words, the food rescuers make it clear that a conviction will not prevent them from continuing to save food.Bosch quoted a 2020 Forsa poll as saying 86% would not condemn containers of food.According to the Joint Poverty Report 2021, the number of people affected by poverty in Germany was 13.8 million.That is in fact every sixth person in the Federal Republic.At the same time, statistically, every consumer throws away 75 kg of food every year.This means that 46.5 million tons of food end up in the garbage."This law, which punishes saving food, belongs in the trash," demanded supporters outside the courthouse.Text and images: Gerhard MaucherImprint Privacy Policy Disclaimer General Terms and Conditions Terms and Conditions Contact