Postponed prison terms - Family abducts self-styled voodoo specialist
Almost one and a half years since a man claiming to be a voodoo magician vanished from Leipzig, five suspects faced punishment - with probationary sentences - on Thursday. The presiding judge, Bernd Gicklhorn, asserted that the escapade had been "represented less dramatically than the first alleged charges," holding it as "a regular case of self-help."
Amongst the defendants, four were found guilty of robbery, aggravated assault, and attempted extortion, earning them two-year prison terms. The remaining individual was convicted of aiding and abetting and was sentenced to a six-month gaol term. All sentences were suspended and will not become legally binding until confirmed. The prosecution announced its intent to appeal.
The case unfolded in an intriguing manner: The Magdeburg-residing Syrians, earlier this year, hired a man from Cameroon, claiming to have magical powers. In exchange for €15,000, he promised to multiply cash. Despite the fantastical rituals involving inexplicable concoctions and incantations, his powers failed to materialize. The money vanished simultaneously with the fraudster.
"The family had fallen victim to a hoax," the judge lectured. "The court has yet to accept this, due to lack of common sense, extraordinary audacity, and ludicrous statements from the victim. The family was deprived of their wealth." Notably, the family never filed a complaint with the police, allegedly because of "moral reasons," refusing to accept their foolishness. The father felt pressured to take matters into his own hands to recover his finances.
Sensational abduction
The furious father and his sons, joined by friends, set out to STEAL the charlatan in a housing estate in Leipzig. The group abducted the man in a highly theatrical manner befitting the realm of movies. Shots echoed across the heavily-populated estate to dissuade any potential witnesses. The clownish kidnappers, seeking the money promised during the initial hoax, transported the victim to Magdeburg, where they mercilessly beat and bound him.
An attempt to extort money from the victim's uncle backfired, as he deemed kidnapping unacceptable and didn't fulfill their demands. Thus, two days later, the group raided the sorcerer's Leipzig apartment again. The ill-fated vigilantes were eventually captured by the police, who maintained a covert watch over the apartment.
The presiding prosecutor, Sebastian Batzer, couldn't prove the severe charges of kidnapping and extortion. "Kidnapping requires a demonstrated threat of death against the victim. There was inadequate evidence for that." The victim shared his experience with the court, disclosing he was beaten but not menaced with lethal force. Additionally, the court suggests the family no longer sought the money as compensation for their deception.
One of the defendants continues to be under investigation in relation to the alleged sorcerer, the supposed Voodoo magician. The remaining suspects claimed remorse and appealed for a second chance in their concluding words. The prosecutor had requested sentences between three years and four months and probation, whereas the defense demanded complete acquittal for one defendant and probation periods for others.
