Saxon Police's Mantrailer Study Faces Scrutiny, Training Program Discontinued
A once-celebrated study by the Saxon police, aiming to enhance the evidentiary value of Hound dogs in criminal proceedings, has turned into a PR nightmare. The University of Leipzig is now reviewing the doctoral thesis at the heart of the controversy.
The study, initially lauded as a breakthrough, was later criticized, leading the University of Leipzig to review the doctoral thesis of its author, Thomas Grägen, who is also a police chief in Saxony. The Administrative Court of Leipzig and the Higher Administrative Court of Saxony have paved the way for this review.
The Saxon police had hoped the study would allow judges to assign greater evidentiary value to the dogs' findings in cases like the investigation into the right-wing extremist terrorist cell NSU and the break-in at the Green Vault. However, the study results were found lacking, and the university is now reassessing its scientific validity.
Following these developments, the Saxon police has discontinued its program for training Hound dogs. The dogs still in service will no longer be used for investigative or criminal proceedings. The University's Standing Commission for Investigating Academic Misconduct will decide the next steps in the review procedure.
The University of Leipzig's review of the controversial doctoral thesis is ongoing. Despite initial hopes, the use of Hound dogs in criminal proceedings is unlikely to be reopened, even if the study results are found to be unreliable. The Saxon police has ended its training program for these dogs, and those still in service will not be used for investigations.
