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Trending: How the far right hijacked a murder

Factual

How The Far Right Hijacked a Murder

08/02/2019 GMT

How the far right hijacked a murder

BBC World Service - Trending, How the far right hijacked a murder

After a teenager was murdered in Berlin, activists spread rumours and fake news online

After 14-year-old Keira Gross was murdered in Berlin, the far right pounced. They spread rumours and misinformation online, blaming the crime on a Muslim immigrant from Chechnya who they dubbed “The Beast of the Caucasus”. One key activist, Lutz Bachmann of the anti-Islam group Pegida, even identified a boy who he said was the murderer, and posted his details with a link to his Facebook profile. 

However, there was a problem: the rumours were wrong. It emerged that Keira was not murdered by a Muslim immigrant, but rather by a churchgoing German classmate who was obsessed with Batman’s nemesis, the Joker. 

We hear from Keira’s mother about the impact the rumours have had on her life, and find out how extremists twist reports of crime to serve their political goals.

Presenter: Mike Wendling
Reporter: Ant Adeane

(Photo: Keira Gross. Credit: Karin Gross)

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