More than eight months after the acquittal of a former Bundeswehr soldier despite refusing the required corona vaccination, the Schweinfurt regional court sentenced the man to a fine in an appeal. On Tuesday, the Small Criminal Chamber set 90 daily rates of 45 euros each. The 27-year-old from Fulda could also pay 200 euros a month, said the presiding judge. The decision is not final and an appeal to the Bavarian Supreme Court is possible.
In July, the Bad Kissingen district court acquitted the 27-year-old because the court was convinced that issuing the order in 2022 was not proportionate. The public prosecutor’s office had, among other things, requested a prison sentence of four months, suspended on probation.
The defendant, who was not represented by a lawyer, objected: he had refused the vaccination out of fear of side effects. The man, a temporary soldier since mid-2016 and released from the Bundeswehr in 2023, was deployed in the Rhön barracks in Wildflecken at the time of the crime. Soldiers have to be vaccinated against a whole range of diseases unless there are specific health reasons against it. Anyone who resists must expect not only criminal proceedings, but also disciplinary measures.