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Court Upholds Dismissal of Berlin Police Trainee Over Obesity

The ruling grants priority to a neutral police medical assessment and the force's BMI-based fitness rule when deciding a trainee's ability to serve.

Overview

  • The trainee was appointed as a Polizeimeisteranwärter in September 2022 and was removed from the civil‑service relationship on May 31, 2025 after a police medical report found obesity.
  • On May 22, 2026 the Oberverwaltungsgericht Berlin‑Brandenburg confirmed the dismissal and rejected the trainee's appeal against the lower court rulings.
  • A police physician recorded a BMI of 32.8 in December 2024 and gave a two‑year negative prognosis for return to service, a finding the courts treated as decisive.
  • Judges cited 111 sport‑exemption days in 2024 and the trainee's failure to follow orders to lose weight, and they found a privately commissioned medical report did not show sustained weight loss or a reliable future prognosis.
  • The decision underscores that under the police service regulation a BMI above 27.5 can trigger loss of duty fitness and that neutral employer‑commissioned medical evaluations carry special weight in public‑safety personnel cases.