– Thousands of people follow Rainer W. (32) on YouTube – many because they hate him. The virtual dispute has long since escalated in the real world: insults and physical harm also brought penalties to his anti-fans and now the question is whether Rainer W. has to go to jail.
The legal allegation of guilt in the case of Rainer W.: He hit a man on the forehead with a flashlight, put another in a headlock, threw bricks at a moving car and he made police officers with nasty tirades of abuse live on the Internet stream after Strich and thread offended.
On October 21, 2021, the district court of Neustadt ad Aisch therefore sentenced him to two years in prison. Now W. is back in court on March 23, 2022 – because he did not receive parole. He has appealed because he hopes for clemency and wants to avoid going behind bars again. The public prosecutor’s office has also appealed.
Rainer W. has several previous convictions for assault and insult. He was already on probation before this verdict – and the legal rules of the game are very clear: Anyone who does not prove themselves and does not remain unpunished during the probation period, i.e. recidivism, does not get a suspended sentence again, but has to move in.
Provocation is part of the Dragonlord’s business
But this legal question has been overshadowed for months by the moral excitement and the discussion about hate and hate speech on the Internet. Because one thing is certain: video blogger Rainer W. faces the contempt of thousands upon thousands of haters in virtual and real life. And one thing is also certain: The YouTuber Rainer W. earns his money with attention – negatively as well as positively. And provocation is also part of his business, because he derives his popularity and the number of clicks from being hated.
The verdict in October 2021 was hotly debated. The judiciary, society, the authorities were pilloried. SPIEGEL columnist Sascha Lobo was particularly harsh. He spoke of state failure, the Federal Republic could not counteract a hate mob.
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The fact is: Ever since Rainer W. named his address in the village of Altschauerberg in the district of Neustadt ad Aisch in one of his videos in 2014 and asked his anti-fans to come to him, they have done so. The 42 residents of Altschauerberg never got any rest, but were reduced to the role of extras in a game in their own village, the “Dragon Game”, as Rainer W., his fans and anti-fans call it. For the players it is a folk festival. For the residents it is a nightmare with a lot of garbage left behind and garden fences covered in pee.
Trouble with the police, plague for the residents
In addition, the police station in Neustadt ad Aisch, with around 50 employees, looks after an area of around 703 square kilometers and around 61,000 inhabitants. In the 42-strong town of Altschauerberg, officials have been on five to 15 missions for years. Daily.
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And it is also a fact: in the district court of Neustadt ad Aisch, several lawsuits against Rainer W. and also against several of his anti-fans have already taken place. The public prosecutor’s office is conducting at least 152 cases against haters. And when a hearing against Rainer W. is scheduled at the local district court, it is almost impossible to work there, the employees are constantly being called.
Due to the load, the Emskirchen market had issued a general decree for years – more than eight people were not allowed to gather there. Among other things, Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann promised help. But what instruments are still available to the state? Should the Department of Defense step in? Send the Bundeswehr to Middle Franconia?
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The dubious personality cult surrounding Rainer W. still persists – although the 32-year-old has now sold his house (the so-called Drachenschanze) to the community. The authorities just had the house demolished. Now haters came to take photos or film interiors. Is peace now returning in Altschauerberg, regardless of the process?
Drachenlord on tour in Germany – does he have to go to prison now?
Rainer W. himself is currently traveling through the country in his car, his car has been parked in Neustadt ad Aisch for a few days, he is said to have stayed in a local guesthouse. He sends videos of his trip online. After all, YouTuber, he says, is his profession. But you could also say he’s still looking for the echo of the haters.
In an interview with our newspaper in autumn 2021, media ethicist and media scientist Christian Gürtler named a group dynamic that has become independent over time. He is not aware of any comparable case anywhere in the world in which violence and bullying, online and offline, have mixed together in this way.
This case is also so outstanding because it didn’t want to end – and Rainer W. contributes a lot to it.
It is currently unclear whether Rainer W. can expect leniency in the appeal hearing. But at least what’s going on behind his forehead will be discussed in more detail. A psychiatrist spoke to him at length, and this report will have a major impact on the judges’ decision.
