Overview
- The Hamburg prosecutor reported concrete indications that Bott listed himself as "Prof. Dr. Dr." on his firm’s website through August 19 although the "Professor" and one "Doctor" were honorary.
- Following public scrutiny, the contested titles were removed from the site, which now shows "Dr. Ingo Bott", and Bott said the honors were legitimately conferred by Peruvian universities.
- Prosecutors will examine potential misuse in other contexts under §132a of the Criminal Code, which allows penalties of up to one year in prison or a fine, while emphasizing the presumption of innocence.
- A Facebook post by Passau professor Holm Putzke and initial reporting by Bild prompted the review, highlighting rules that foreign honorary titles must clearly name the granting institution and country.
- Bott continues to represent Christina Block in the ongoing child abduction trial in Hamburg after joining her defense in July during a reshuffle of counsel.