Drunkmakers demand ambulances as a taxi: the police intervene!

Drunkmakers demand ambulances as a taxi: the police intervene!

in Oftersheim, a place in the Rhein-Neckar district, there was a scandalous incident in which two heavily drunk people tried to abuse the emergency services as a means of transport. According to SWR was a 58-year-old woman together with a 19-year-old man on a green area when the crew of a ambulance met her. Instead of using their obvious need for help, the drunk wished to be driven home.

The young man behaved extremely aggressively. He insulted the paramedics, damaged the side mirror of the ambulance and tried to open the vehicle by force when the paramedics locked themselves up for their own protection in the car. After a rapid intervention by the police, both were taken into custody and asked to submit a blood sample. You are now seeing advertisements for assault on the emergency services and the police.

abuse of emergency calls: a serious problem

The incident in Oftersheim reflects a bigger problem that is also observed in other parts of Germany. A similar case occurred in Sigmaringen, where a 62-year-old man called the ambulance service only to be brought home free of charge. Despite the alleged back pain, he refused to be transported to the hospital, which led to an advertisement for abuse of emergency calls.

The abuse of emergency calls is a criminal offense in Germany. As can be seen from the provisions of the StGB , people who use emergency calls intentionally or knowingly can be punished with a prison sentence of up to one year or with a fine. The criminal acts include the pretense of an emergency situation and the abuse of emergency numbers. This is taken seriously by both the legislators and the public, since such acts endanger real emergencies and burden the resources of the emergency services.

violations and their consequences

In 2016, there were almost 11,000 violations of the provisions on the abuse of emergency calls in Germany. Only a small part of these cases is actually punished. Compliance with § 145 StGB aims to secure the undisturbed functioning of emergency calls and protect the emergency aid. The legislature hereby pursues a clear measure against such abuse because they can block urgently needed resources in emergencies.

The punishments for such offenses can have far -reaching consequences. For example, the abuse of emergency calls can also result in civil liability if there are costs due to the misuse. It is therefore crucial that the public is informed about the serious consequences of abuse and that the emergency call systems are regularly checked and modernized in order to prevent such incidents as they have happened in Oftersheim and Sigmaringen.