Federal Court of Justice overturns influencer's rocket verdict in Berlin

The German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has overturned a previous ruling against an influencer regarding an incident involving a New Year's Eve rocket in Berlin-Neukölln. The court has ordered a new trial at the Berlin Regional Court I.

On December 31, 2024, the 23-year-old defendant fired a rocket at a 45-degree angle toward a residential building. The firework pierced a third-floor window and exploded in a bedroom. While no injuries were reported, the explosion caused damage to property and items in the room began to smolder.

The defendant, who gained significant social media attention by posting a video of the act that received over six million views on Instagram, had previously been sentenced to six months of probation for property damage. However, the BGH found legal errors regarding the assessment of intent and has referred the case back for a new hearing by a different criminal chamber.