Processes - Highest penalty for murder of a 17-year-old inline skater
Verden (dpa) – The 17-year-old Mara-Sophie went out for a rollerblading session in the early evening of September 10, 2023, as she often did. She bid farewell to her mother – and never returned. A few hours later, her body was found in a ditch, and a few days later, a 43-year-old German man was arrested. Now, the Landgericht Verden has determined: It was Murder.
The court saw it as proven in the trial that the 43-year-old German man had heinously and for base reasons murdered the schoolgirl in Barenburg (Landkreis Diepholz) with a knife. Three days after the crime, the man attempted to murder two more women. Both survived with severe injuries. For the three crimes, the Landgericht sentenced the man to Life Imprisonment with the acknowledgment of the aggravating circumstances.
The defendant remained unmoved by the judge's words.
Additionally, the court ordered his detention in a secure psychiatric facility. This means the man cannot be released before serving 15 years. The presiding judge, Volker Stronczyk, stated, "The defendant acted with 'particularly high criminal energy'."
The judgment is not yet legally binding, and the defense announced plans to appeal. The defendant remained silent without any reaction. He had confessed to the crimes but also claimed he could only recall them vaguely.
"Randomly selected victims"
"The defendant drove around in the area randomly selecting victims with his car," Stronczyk said. The 43-Year-Old worked as a farm manager on his family's farm in Kirchdorf (Landkreis Diepholz). He had lived a secluded life, never having had a partnership. The man had "significant personality deficits," Stronczyk said, adding that he had been callous even towards his own parents. He had committed the crimes out of "Rage, Despair, and Dissatisfaction," Stronczyk stated. The defendant was unhappy with his life situation and overwhelmed by his work. The parents were on vacation at the time of the crimes.
A few hours before the first crime, he had watched pornography. Eventually, he had gotten into his car. He had stumbled upon the unknown Mara-Sophie on a side road. He had not expected any resistance from her. He had stabbed the teenager multiple times with a knife and then fled unnoticed. No sexual motive could be discerned by the court.
Second victim also attacked with a knife
"He enjoyed the crime," the judge said. This was the only explanation, Stronczyk continued, for the defendant's attack on a 30-year-old woman three days later at a Fast-Food restaurant parking lot in Sulingen (Landkreis Diepholz) with a knife. Only the intervention of four men prevented a murder, the judge said.
While on the run, the defendant drove his car intentionally into an 18-year-old jogger in the Hannover region, believing her to be dead, and then left the scene.
Defendant had a prior conviction
The court followed the prosecutor's demand with the judgment. The defense had argued for attempted manslaughter or reckless bodily harm instead. The court disagreed. The defendant had intended to kill all his victims. The man had been sentenced to probation in 2017 for attempting to sexually abuse a minor.
The presiding judge addressed his last words to Mara-Sophie's family, who were present at almost every hearing. I hope you can now return to normalcy, he said. "I believe Mara-Sophie would be pleased," he added.
- Mara-Sophie's mother waved goodbye as her daughter set off for her usual rollerblading session in Barenburg, a district in Diepholz District, Germany.
- The judge at the District Court Verden in Germany pronounced the 43-year-old defendant guilty of 'Mord' (Murder) for the brutal killing of Mara-Sophie.
- The highest penalty for his crimes was considered appropriate by the court due to the defendant's 'particularly high criminal energy.'
- The 43-year-old defendant showed no remorse although he had previously confessed to the heinous 'Attempted murder' of two additional women.
- The defense team announced plans to appeal against the penalty for freedom which included serving at least 15 years in a secure psychiatric facility.
- The court argued that the defendant, who worked as a farm manager in Diepholz District, had committed the crimes out of 'Rage, Despair, and Dissatisfaction' upon feeling overwhelmed with his work and life situation.
- Despite having significant personality deficits and a history of Criminality, the defendant displayed no emotions towards the women he targeted, choosing them randomly while driving around in his car.
