March 9, 2014
German Court: Implants No Impediment to Police Woman
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 1 MIN.
A German court has ruled that a prospective Berlin police recruit's breast implants cannot legally be used as grounds to keep her off the force.
The woman applied in 2012 to join the Berlin police force, but was rejected after authorities said her breast implants would prevent her from wearing a protective vest or riot gear. They argued the implants would mean the protective gear put so much pressure on her chest that there was a risk of fibrosis or other health problems.
But a Berlin administrative court on Tuesday upheld her challenge of the decision, saying a doctor testified that protective gear should cause no greater health problems for a woman with implants than without.
The woman's name was not released due to German privacy rules.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
