Germany: Racists jailed for brutal attack

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Two self-confessed racists, Mario Poetter and Sandro Ristau, who took part in a gang attack which resulted in a black man being paralysed for life, were jailed for 8 and 15 years respectively by a Potsdam court in December. Birmingham building worker, Noel Martin, was with two black colleagues when the were harassed outside Mahlow railway station, in the eastern state of Brandenburg, last June. The three men managed to reach their car but were pursued by the racists. As the racists overtook them a rock was thrown through their car window and their vehicle crashed as they attempted to escape. Noel's friends escaped uninjured bit Noel was paralysed from the waist down. Following the attack the Brandenburg police showed little interest in the case and even issued a press release blaming Noel and his friends. The authorities also denied any knowledge of far-right activities in the area, despite a widely publicised attack on left-wing meeting place in 1994. It was not until a campaign by the German Anti-Racist Initiative and the Campaign Against Racism and Fascism ensured widespread publicity in England and Germany that any action was taken. Poetter and Ristau were eventually arrested after boasting about the attack. Their convictions are for causing grievous bodily harm and dangerous driving after the prosecutor failed to make a case for attempted murder. CARF August/September 1996; Guardian 3.12.96.

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