Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Dec 6, (dpa/GNA) – A German police officer has agreed to pay €40,000 ($46,500) in compensation to a taxi driver on the Spanish holiday island of Mallorca after a violent assault last year, allowing him to avoid a possible prison sentence, local media reported on Friday.
The settlement was reached by lawyers for both sides, according to the Mallorca Zeitung, a German-language newspaper on the island.
The officer, from the western German city of Essen, remains on active duty.
In August 2024, the German tourist attacked a 71-year-old driver after a taxi ride from the Ballermann party strip, a nightlife area popular with German tourists at the Playa de Palma beach area in the south-west, to a rural hotel in the centre of the island. Three other German police officers were also involved, according to the victim.
The dispute was sparked by a missing mobile phone. The young holidaymakers, all under the age of 30 according to Spanish authorities, accused the Mallorcan driver of theft. The phone was later found in one of their own bags. The assault left the driver with several broken ribs and a fractured arm.
The main suspect was arrested during the night by the Guardia Civil, with two more detentions the following day. A judge released all three shortly afterwards, but prosecutors later filed charges. Only the main suspect faced a possible prison term of up to three years.
The settlement was signed by lawyers for both sides as well as by the public prosecutor, the Mallorca Zeitung reported. The agreement still requires court approval, though this is considered a formality.
The officer has reportedly pleaded guilty to coercion and bodily harm and will cover both the compensation payment and legal costs.
It remains unclear whether he and the other officers involved will be allowed to stay on duty. They could face disciplinary proceedings in Germany. Police in Essen recently said they were awaiting documents from Spain.
GNA