Die staatsanwaltschaftliche Erledigungspraxis in Verfahren wegen Körperverletzung im Amt gem. § 340 StGB durch Polizeibeamt*innen

Compared to other areas of crime, the practice of public prosecutors in proceedings for bodily harm commit-ted by police officers is characterised by a high rate of dismissals under Section 170(2) of the Code of Crimi-nal Procedure. The author examines the reasons for this particular practice on the basis of 267 case files from Lower Saxony and Saxony. The special circumstances of such proceedings (high number of unjustified complaints, inefficient investigations, uncertain evidence) can hardly explain this practice. An analysis of the public prosecutor's assessment of evidence and reasoning for decisions reveals a specific preliminary under-standing and institutional rules of application.