Prosecution seeks two years in prison for insults, threats, and anti-Semitism

Opting to represent himself, the defendant appeared without legal counsel, a choice consistent with his previous court proceedings. In fact, the court addressed four distinct cases during the consolidated hearing on Thursday afternoon.

One of the cases centred on threats directed at Tom Hecker, the president of the LGBTQIA+ advocacy group Rosa Lëtzebuerg, also known as Tatta Tom ("Aunty Tom"), a Drag Queen. Upon request, Hecker visits schools and nurseries to read stories and provide information on sexuality and sexual orientation. The accused, in an email to Hecker, threatened physical harm, stating that if Hecker "passed on his illness" to the accused's daughter, he would "punch the dirt out of his stomach." The defendant attempted to justify his actions by saying "I didn't want anyone to tell my daughter that you can be anything you want to be." He claimed that while he is teaching his five-year-old daughter to be tolerant, there would be "limits."

The judge pointed out that the Drag Queen did not impose without first being asked and suggested that the accused could have addressed the matter with school officials rather than resorting to threats. The defendant acknowledged this half-heartedly, apologised, and thanked Tom Hecker, who was present as a witness, for refraining from pursuing financial compensation.

In another case, the defendant faced prosecution for sharing a video with anti-Semitic content on social media in late 2022. He told the court that he had never watched the video. Both the judge and the representative of the public prosecutor's office stressed that this did not protect him from being prosecuted, pointing out that people can be held accountable for the content they share.

In the third case, the defendant, under the influence of alcohol in early 2023, directed insults at police officers, resulting in his confinement to a holding cell and subsequent hospital examination. Among other things, he called an officer an "idiot," which was among the tamer insults he directed at the officers. He also threatened the police officers' families and wished them dead. Six police officers are seeking compensation of €350 each.

The fourth case involved a social media post where, a few days after an argument with the police, the defendant posted a video containing insults directed at law enforcement, among other things.

At the start of her closing argument, the representative of the public prosecutor's office said: "I don't know if there's much more to say." Because of the defendant's rebellious attitude, even in the courtroom, she asked for a two-year prison sentence and a fine. She also indicated that she did not feel that the defendant deserved a suspended sentence.

The court is set to deliver its verdict on 20 December.