The regional court has announced further details on the compensation claim of a woman who got into trouble with the security service and the police because of bare breasts at a Berlin water playground. Civil Chamber 26 will hear the case on Wednesday, September 14, at 10 a.m. in room E 209 of the regional court at Tegeler Weg 17-21 (Charlottenburg), a statement said on Monday.
With the civil action, the woman demands appropriate compensation under the Anti-Discrimination Act of the State of Berlin (LADG). The country rejects this request. The court said it was still unclear whether the chamber would make a decision on September 14th.
The case is probably the most prominent complaint to date based on the law, which has been in place for a good two years now. Berlin has thus entered new territory, other countries want to follow suit.
The law is intended to protect people from discrimination by the authorities and enable claims for damages against the state of Berlin. According to the responsible ombudsman, around 1000 complaints have been received so far, and 700 cases have been classified as justified under the LADG.
This includes the “topless” case. The woman concerned sunned herself shirtless in June 2021 on the grounds of the Plansche water playground in Treptow. She was then asked by security forces, then by the police, to cover her chest or leave the pool.
The dispute drew national attention. In July 2021, the “Hedonistic International” demonstrated in Kreuzberg with a topless bicycle demo for equal “right to bare chest”.
