BERLIN (AP) – German authorities conducted raids across Germany on Thursday against people suspected of posting misogynistic hate speech online.
Police conducted early morning raids in 11 states and questioned 45 suspects, German news agency dpa said. No suspects were taken into custody.
The raid was part of the annual Fight Against Misogyny on the Internet day of action, which begins in 2022 and takes place the day before International Women’s Day.
In Germany, widespread slurs against women can be punished as incitement to hatred.
In preparation for the raid, authorities scanned the internet for posts that could violate anti-misogyny laws and attempted to identify the posters. The names were then forwarded to the prosecutor’s office in the suspect’s home state to decide whether to proceed with the investigation.
Communications that are considered illegal include posts that defame or insult women in a sexual manner or publicly encourage them to send nude photos. According to the DPA report, authorities also issued warnings against posts advocating rape or sexual assault or distributing videos of torture or killing.
Despite the law, online posts that degrade or threaten women often go unpunished, and many women say they avoid public attention for fear of online attacks.
The raid was carried out by the German Central Office for the Fight against Cybercrime in Frankfurt, the Federal Criminal Police Office and several state law enforcement agencies.
