Volker Schlöndorff which cast her as both a terrorist and a prostitute. The newspaper is based upon the real right-wing German tabloid "Bild-Zeitung", whose publisher Axel Springer was the inspiration for the character Werner Tötges. In Schlöndorff's view, West Germany had fallen into political hysteria over the activities of the terrorist group the Red Army Faction. The police and journalistic activities in both Böll's novel and Schlöndorff's film portrayed the Red Army Faction era as reminiscent of McCarthyism in 1950s USA, including illegal police raids, phone tapping and tabloid smears. Alhough Böll was heavily attacked after the publication of the novel, both
Red Army Faction a fair trial." In February 1976, when interviewed by "Der Spiegel" he stated that "We do not need regulation of our jurisdiction, national security survives thanks to people like me and Herold (chief of BKA), who always find the right way..." Eventually, on 28 April 1977, the trial's 192nd day, the three remaining defendants were convicted of several murders, more attempted murders, and of forming a terrorist organization; they were sentenced to life imprisonment. A new section of Stammheim Prison was built especially for the RAF and was considered one of the most secure prison blocks around the world at