Federal Court of Justice - Illerkirchberg: Final judgment after knife attack
More than a year after the bloody attack on two schoolgirls in Illerkirchberg (Alb-Donau district), the Federal Court of Justice has confirmed the verdict in the murder trial. As the authorities announced on Monday, the verdict of the Ulm Regional Court against an Eritrean is now legally binding. At the beginning of July, the court sentenced the then 27-year-old to life imprisonment for murder, attempted murder and grievous bodily harm. In addition, the court found that he was particularly guilty, meaning that early release from prison after 15 years is virtually impossible. The man, who had come to Germany from Eritrea as an asylum seeker, had appealed against the sentence.
The friends were on their way to school on December 5 last year when the man attacked them with a knife. He attacked the 13-year-old girl first, as the Federal Court of Justice announced with reference to the Ulm Regional Court. He then killed the 14-year-old with at least 19 stabs. He had decided to kill the girl in the mistaken belief that the schoolgirls had seen the knife as they walked past him and would now call the police. He was on his way to the district administration office to kill the clerk responsible for him and other employees because they had refused to issue him a passport.
"I spoke to the father this morning," said the lawyer for the family of the 14-year-old who was killed on Monday. "He was relieved." The Federal Court of Justice's decision was important, now the family can take a step forward.
"We were relieved by the Federal Court of Justice's decision," explained the lawyer for the 13-year-old's family. "Now we have certainty that the criminal investigation into the crime is complete and that there will be no retrial." For the family, this is an important step on a long road.
The perpetrator's defense lawyer explained on Monday that she hoped for everyone involved, but also for her client, that it would now be possible to come to an end.
Statement from the Federal Court of Justice
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- The knife attack in Illerkirchberg, which resulted in bodily injury and the tragic death of a 14-year-old schoolgirl, was a grim example of criminality in the Alb-Danube district of Germany.
- The perpetrator, an Eritrean asylum seeker, appealed against his life sentence for murder, attempted murder, and grievous bodily harm, which was originally handed down by the Ulm Regional Court.
- The Federal Court of Justice, located in Baden-Württemberg, upheld the verdict and judgments of the Ulm Regional Court, making the sentence legally binding.
- In Eritrea, where the perpetrator came from, such acts of violence may not be examined under the same legal processes and standards as in Germany.
- The knife attack had a profound impact on both families, who are now relieved that the criminal process has reached its conclusion, thanks to the judgments passed by the German courts.
- The Federal Court of Justice's decision is a testament to the effectiveness of Germany's legal processes in handling such cases, ensuring justice for the victims and their families.
Source: www.stern.de
