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Edathy trial begins

February 23, 2015

The trial of former German politician Sebastian Edathy has begun. Over the past year, child pornography allegations have destroyed the career of the once-rising star in Germany's SPD Party.

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Sebastian Edathy Untersuchungsausschuss 18.12.2014 Berlin
Image: Getty Images/A. Berry

Proceedings against Sebastian Edathy began in the northwestern German city of Verden on Monday. The 45-year-old faces charges of downloading child pornography to his work laptop and possessing a book, as well as a CD containing images considered "harmful to youths."

But less than two hours into proceedings, the court adjourned so that the defense could discuss a possible admission of guilt with Edathy in exchange for a fine, rather than a prison term.

Defense attorney Christian Noll reportedly called for the trial to be suspended in his opening arguments on Monday. Pointing not only to the legal repercussions of allegedly leaked information by politicians to the press, Noll further argued that the media attention had destroyed his client's private life.

"A verdict is now moot," Noll said.

News agency DPA further reported that the prosecution had rejected the argument because the German legal system does not recognize prejudgment because of media coverage as grounds for suspending a trial.

The trial is set to run until April. If found guilty, Edathy faces up to two years in prison or a fine.

Year-long scandal

Edathy's name has dominated headlines over the past year in Germany, becoming synonymous with child pornography and pedophilia and often serving as the butt of jokes in late night talk shows.

Roughly a year ago, the Social Democratic politician relinquished his post in Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, just days before information emerged that authorities had searched his apartment, where they found images of nude images of minors.

Edathy has defended himself against the allegations - including in an interview with the widely-read magazine Der Spiegel - denying both accusations of being a pedophile. He has also contended that the pictures and videos in his possession were art and not pornography.

The case has resulted in an amendment to Germany's pornography laws, under which it is now a crime to taking nude photographs of minors in order to sell or exchange them. The statue of limitations on sex crimes has also been extended.

Edathy rose to prominence in Germany when he headed a parliamentary committee looking into why police and intelligence services failed to stop a neo-Nazi murder spree.

Tipped off?

Also worrisome for the German government were suspicions that the SPD politician had been tipped off before the authorities raided his home.

A Bundestag committee has been investigating the matter since the summer. Edathy came under police scrutiny in connection with an international investigation of online purchases from Canadian firm Azov films, which sold nude images of young males between 2005 and 2010. Canada turned its findings over to Interpol, which then informed Germany's Federal Criminal Police office, the BKA.

The case led to the resignation of then-Agriculture Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich, over suspicions he alerted the leadership of the SPD that Edathy was secretly under investigation.

Other politicians affected by the Edathy scandal include Rhineland-Palatinate SPD politician Michael Hartmann, who Edathy alleged had informed him. Hartmann has denied the allegations. The public prosecutor from Lower Saxony, Frank Lüttig, has also been accused from prosecutors in the city of Göttigen for allegedly leaking confidential information about Edathy's case to a third party.

kms/rc (AFP, dpa)