Politicians and doctors in Germany have expressed their dismay at the suicide of Austrian doctor Lisa-Maria Kellermayr, who was threatened by opponents of the corona measures. The focus is on hate on the Internet. "Every day there are calls for violence against me on social networks," Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) told the newspapers of the Funke media group. "People regularly - sometimes even with real names - call for my murder." He is therefore particularly well protected. "The Austrian colleague, on the other hand, had to pay for the protection herself and could no longer afford it." He despises and loathes the agitators on the Internet who would have driven this woman to her death.
The President of the German Medical Association, Klaus Reinhardt, said in the "Welt" that the death of the doctor "drastically shows where the brutalization of the social climate can lead". In Germany, too, the inhibition threshold is falling. Doctors received threatening letters and were verbally and physically attacked.
"The police must act quickly in view of the worrying increase in digital crimes," demanded Jörg Radek, deputy national chairman of the police union, in the newspaper. However, there is a lack of appropriate resources, both in terms of personnel and equipment.
SPD leader Saskia Esken called on people to help victims of psychological violence. Women in particular are often affected, she told the editorial network Germany (RND). "In the fight against this form of violence, we must become even more assertive."
In the "Rheinische Post" (Wednesday), Vice President of the Greens Konstantin von Notz called for better equipment for the investigative authorities in Germany. Union parliamentary group leader Andrea Lindholz spoke out in the newspaper for more powers in the digital space. "The restriction of the security authorities to tapping landline telephone calls simply does not do justice to the reality of life in 2022," criticized the CSU politician.
The Austrian doctor had been committed to corona vaccinations and, according to her own statements, had been put under massive pressure by opponents of vaccination for months. It was announced on Friday that she had been found dead in her practice in Upper Austria. According to a media report, a man from Upper Bavaria is suspected of having threatened the 36-year-old doctor in emails with torture and murder. The Munich public prosecutor's office initiated an investigation.
Do you have suicidal thoughts or have you noticed them in a relative/acquaintance? Help is available from the telephone counseling service: anonymous advice is available around the clock on the free numbers 0800/111 0 111 and 0800/111 0 222. Advice is also available online at telefonseelsorge.de. A list of nationwide help centers can be found on the website of the German Society for Suicide Prevention.
