Police cleared over G20 debauchery allegations

A group of Berlin police officers accused of wild debauchery while stationed in Hamburg for the G20 summit have been cleared of any responsibility, police said on Tuesday.

Some 220 Berlin police officers helping with security ahead of the G20 summit were sent back to the capital last week after they were alleged to have engaged in public sex acts, excessive drunkenness and misuse of firearms.

After an investigation, Berlin police chief Klaus Kandt said that there was no evidence suggesting police engaged in any behavior that should lead to disciplinary action.

"We can say with confidence that everything that was reported in the media was clearly exaggerated," Kandt said.

Kandt wrote in a letter to officers, later published on the Berlin police Twitter account, that some behavior was "worthy of criticism," including urinating on the property where they were staying and excessive noise.

Other allegations, including property damage, excessive alcohol use and other punishable offenses were not confirmed by an investigation. Police spokesman Winfrid Wenzel said on RBB television that there was definitely no evidence of sex parties or orgies.

Kandt warned that the incident and allegations showed how quickly the behavior of even one officer can impact the image of the entire police force.

cw/bw (AFP, dpa)