RBB director Dieter Nuhr introduces himself: “Satire enjoys very wide protection”

In the broadcast on June 18th, Nuhr humorously criticized blanket judgments that were embellished by the term “structural” with “the crown of science”.

“There are tens of millions of men in Germany,” said Nuhr on stage, so the probability of encountering a woman murderer with 300 to 350 femicides per year is “practically zero.” He added: “To be on the safe side, it might be better if you just get to know your partner before sexual intercourse.”

This sentence caused a lot of criticism. The common accusation is that Nuhr is suggesting that women themselves are to blame for violence by men and even for murders.

Numerous program complaints have been received

According to Demmer, 325 complaints are currently being examined by the RBB on this topic, of which 244 have so far been classified as formal program complaints. Numerous additional letters also reached the station via other channels.

However, the case will not have any editorial consequences for the time being. “We hear the criticism, we understand the criticism and we take it very seriously,” said Demmer and then added: “But in satire formats it is important to respect artistic freedom. Against the background of artistic freedom, Dieter Nuhr is allowed to formulate provocatively and pointedly. It is the core business of satire to consciously turn things into their opposite. Satire works through polarization and exaggeration and satire enjoys very broad protection, which is also emphasized by the case law of the Federal Constitutional Court regularly.”

Looking at this very broad area of ​​protection, the RBB’s program mandate is not seen to have been violated. It is part of democracy to endure that. For everyone “who finds it difficult to endure this in a specific case,” she concluded by referring to the “around 300 archive articles in which the RBB reported on femicides in a substantial, committed manner and with great seriousness and care.” Violence against women is a social issue that the RBB pays constant attention to.

Dieter Nuhr himself had already commented on the case last week, but he did not address any specific points of criticism: “I haven’t,” he wrote on Facebook, “No joke about femicide, anywhere. I’ve never done it before. I won’t do it,” said Nuhr. The accusation is ridiculous.