The Plön district court has acquitted Sucharit Bhakdi of the charge of incitement to hatred. A trivialization of the Holocaust alone is not enough and perhaps he meant the Israeli government by the “people of the Jews”, according to the media about the judge’s reasoning. The public prosecutor’s office has one week to appeal.
An observation by WELT from the trial is revealing with regard to Bhadki’s socio-psychological function:
“At the beginning, an unusual scene took place in the courtroom under the eyes of more than 40 journalists and spectators. A woman dressed in white knelt in front of the accused. Bhakdi, who lives in the district of Plön and had come by bike, held his hands together in front of his chest, smiled and talked to the woman.”
It is not known whether he discussed the scientific evidence on Corona with her or absolved her of her sins. The comment thread on the WELT article is worth reading, a document of a religious community, many of whom are probably unattainable by any rational form of “processing” the pandemic.
The feeling of metaphysical homelessness is great in these times, a breeding ground for tribunes, self-appointed saviors, apocalypticists, demagogues and charlatans of all kinds. Bhakdi is also very good at making religious references and stylizing himself as the savior of mankind, spells against evil locked in. Maybe that really shouldn’t be classified as “incitement to hatred”?