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Santa Claus Actor in Stralsund Fined €4,000 for Striking Toddler

The case concluded with a €4,000 payment after prosecutors said the veteran performer admitted disciplining the boy with a birch rod following an insult.

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Ein Weihnachtsmann mit Rute (Symbolbild).
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Der Angeklagte steht vor Beginn des Strafverfahrens im Verhandlungssaal des Amtsgerichts

Overview

  • Prosecutors recommended the fine after stating the actor’s confession and subsequent media scrutiny served as punishment, leading the Amtsgericht Stralsund to close the case.
  • Court documents show the four-year-old stuck out his tongue and called the performer ‘stupid Santa’ before the 62-year-old rose and struck him with a 90-centimeter birch branch.
  • The defendant, who has portrayed Santa Claus for more than 50 years in a family tradition, said he intended a corrective tap rather than to harm the child.
  • According to the boy’s mother, the incident left her son with sleepless nights and a lasting fear of anyone in a Santa suit.
  • A judge’s proposal for a personal apology and gift visit was rejected by the mother, and the actor’s defense attorney said he regrets the incident and the end of his career.