Scratching (graffiti)
Scratching (English: to scratch ) is a form of graffiti and describes the deliberate scratching (and willful damage) of glass, plastic or colored surfaces in public spaces . Window panes on public transport such as trains, trams and buses are particularly affected. These so-called scratchiti are usually scratched with broken glass, marble stones or emergency hammers. Usually tags are left behind. It is not uncommon for some panes in the central field of view to be so scratched that looking out is severely restricted, which makes it difficult to read station names. Another, later emerged variant of scratchings consists etching the wafer by using hydrofluoric acid -filled marker pens ( Etching ). Etching is followed closely (at least in Berlin ) because of the dangerousness of unsuspecting passengers or cleaning personnel coming into contact with the skin .
The phenomenon emerged in the mid-1990s when teenagers scratched window panes on the New York subway. In 1997 the Metropolitan Transportation Authority had 62,000 windows repaired, which cost about 2 million euros. The MTA now has to change windows for around 60–65 million euros each year. Scratching first appeared in Germany at the end of the 1990s and then spread from individual regions across the whole of Germany. In Berlin in particular, it is such a widespread phenomenon that the transport companies have started to cover glass surfaces with transparent film, which protects the actual window glass as a sacrificial layer from destruction. The foils are removed at regular intervals and replaced with new ones. For example, S-Bahn Berlin GmbH planned to replace all scratched foils / panes in time for the 2006 World Cup. In 2003, the Berlin S-Bahn replaced 2,325 scratched windows.
Most of the time, scratching is viewed as vandalism or property damage . From a legal point of view, it is undisputedly a criminal act, but it is often difficult to prosecute, as the perpetrators are rarely caught red-handed. Unlike legal graffiti, legal scratching is not very common.
Criminal relevance
Scratching on objects of any kind without the consent of the private or public owner constitutes property damage. In addition to civil law relevance, this also results in criminal law relevance.
The applicable legal norms in Germany are § 303 and § 304 StGB, in Austria § 125 and § 126 , in Switzerland Art. 144 .
The use of hydrofluoric acid in publicly accessible areas is also prosecuted in Germany as a criminal offense within the meaning of Section 330a of the Criminal Code - serious risk from the release of poisons.
See also
Web links
- Because it all scratches the daily mirror of October 24, 2005
