❓WHAT HAPPENED: A German woman faces a €1,800 (~$2,120) fine for reacting with ‘thumbs up’ emojis to a social media post about a 15-year-old killing a rapist migrant. Prosecutors claim her emojis endorsed vigilantism.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: A 64-year-old woman from Lohfelden, Hesse, and the Kassel public prosecutor’s office.
💬KEY QUOTE: “You were aware that in this way you publicly approved of an intentional killing by way of unauthorized vigilantism.” – Kassel prosecutor’s penalty order
🎯IMPACT: The case underscores Germany’s increasingly draconian policing of online speech, raising concerns about freedom of expression.
A German woman faces prosecution and a fine equivalent to around $2,120 for reacting with emojis to a social media post. The case highlights how even the most minimal forms of digital expression are now being scrutinized under Germany’s draconian anti-speech regime.
The 64-year-old from Lohfelden, Hesse, found herself under investigation after responding with three thumbs-up emojis beneath a post on X (formerly Twitter). The original post reported on a 15-year-old Swedish girl who had killed the migrant man who raped her, and included the comment, “Does he now have 77 virgins?”
According to the Kassel public prosecutor’s office, the woman’s emoji reaction amounted to endorsing the killing and expressing satisfaction that it had targeted a migrant. Months after her October 26 interaction, she received a formal penalty notice, ordering her to pay 60 daily rates of $35 each.
The penalty order, parts of which the woman has shared publicly, alleges: “You agreed with this post as a user (…) by clicking ‘thumbs up’ three times. You were aware that in this way you publicly approved of an intentional killing by way of unauthorized vigilantism, and you were particularly pleased that this vigilantism was perpetrated against a migrant.” Authorities also complain the “77 virgins” remark was intended to ridicule the dead rapist. This interpretation of her emoji use, entirely shaped by the prosecutor’s reading of intent, reflects a growing trend of criminalizing expressions of opinion online in Germany and Europe more generally.
The woman retains the right to appeal, and if she does, the case will proceed to a full trial. Germany’s crackdown on digital speech has seen several such incidents in recent years. Authorities have increasingly targeted individuals for online posts deemed offensive, including under Section 188 of the Criminal Code, which prohibits insults against politicians. One notable case involved a police search of a retiree’s home after he shared a meme labeling then-Economy Minister Robert Habeck a “Schwachkopf,” or “moron.”
Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.
