Two police officers accused of beating and injuring a man during protests at the G20 summit in the German city of Hamburg in 2017 apologized to the victim at the start of their landmark trial on Tuesday.
Three male police officers stood trial at the Hamburg District Court, accused by the public prosecutor's office of jointly committing grievous bodily harm whilst on duty. The man suffered bruising and haematomas.
Two of the three defendants admitted that, viewed from today's perspective, their actions had not been justified. Both apologized to the victim, who was present at the trial, and offered him €500 ($570) in compensation. One of them handed over the €500 while still in the courtroom.
The victim accepted the apologies, saying they meant more to him than the money.
The public prosecutor's office said the proceedings at the Hamburg court were the first of their kind, adding that all other cases against the police officers have been dropped.
During the G20 summit in Hamburg in July 2017, protests against the event escalated. Cars were damaged, shops destroyed, and a bank branch was burnt out.
The Interior Ministry estimated the resulting property damage at more than €12 million.
According to earlier official figures, 797 police officers were injured during the operation.
