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Local News Summary of November, 15th

  • Woman made false report of sexual assault
  • No major incidents but more arrests at this year’s Herbstmesse
  • Basel ethics commission approves cannabis study despite federal decision

Woman made false report of sexual assault

A woman is facing criminal charges after falsely claiming to be a victim of sexual assault. The 28-year-old told the police in October that she had been dragged into a bush in Rosentalanlage by an unknown man and sexually assaulted.

She described the perpetrator in detail. However, it emerged through a police investigation that the sexual assault did not happen at all, according to a statement from the public prosecution office of Basel-Stadt. The statement, released on Tuesday, said the motive for the woman’s false claim is part of a new investigation. The public prosecution office has now launched criminal proceedings on the basis of deception.

No major incidents but more arrests at this year’s Herbstmesse

The 547th Basel Herbstmesse ended on Sunday after a peaceful fortnight with no major incidents, the police reported on Tuesday.

Officers helped 21 lost children find their parents and provided general help to around 1,500 visitors to the annual autumn fair.

There was a strong police presence at all fair venues – as with every year. Apart from providing information and helping with minor problems, the police dealt with one theft report and a vandalism complaint. About 300 people were subject to searches and the police had to temporarily remove four people from the fair premises. Last year, nobody had to be thrown out.

Apart from uniformed officers, there were also cantonal police detectives on site. The police reported four incidents and eleven arrested people. There were just four arrests at last year's event. 2016. Those arrested this year come from Georgia, Serbia, Slovenia, Angola, and the Republic of Congo. They are accused of robbery, breaking and entering, and fraud.

Basel ethics commission approves cannabis study despite federal decision

A cannabis research project in Basel-Stadt is among others affected by a decision taken by the Federal Government on Tuesday to reject a similar project in Bern.

The Federal decision came on the same day that Basel’s ethics commission had approved the canton study.

The canton of Basel-Stadt is planning a research study in which adults suffering from long-term illnesses can buy cannabis from specific pharmacies and consume the drug to ease their pain.

The Basel study should show whether cannabis sold legally is genuinely used medicinally and how it affects the consumer behaviour of those taking it. The health department of Basel would supervise the project together with the University Psychiatric Clinics of Basel.

The ethics commission of Basel approved the project under certain conditions, which in turn were accepted, the Basel health department announced on Tuesday evening.

The University of Bern has worked out a detailed research project for cannabis regulation with an inter-urban working group. The cities of Biel, Lucerne, and Zurich planned to join this project.

However, the federal Health Department rejected the request of the University of Bern for this project on Tuesday. The current legislation does not allow an exemption permit, the Federal Government stated.

The cities of Bern, Biel, Lucerne, and Zurich were disappointed by the rejection of the Bern-based project by the Federal Government. The study would have provided a solid basis for further discussion, researches said.

Nonetheless, they said cannabis would continue to be a topic for these cities. Finding a solution for how society will deal with cannabis in the future is important, the researchers said.