- Life in the Middle of a Murder Trial - Defense Appeals Review
In the murder trial in Siegen against a 24-year-old, the defense has filed an appeal to challenge the verdict of life imprisonment. The Syrian man was convicted by the Siegen Regional Court on Wednesday for the violent death of his former partner a year ago. His lawyer has lodged an appeal with the Federal Court of Justice within the deadline, a court spokeswoman said.
The Regional Court found it proven that the man had killed the 23-year-old in a cowardly manner with numerous stab wounds and deep cuts to her neck. In August 2023, the woman's body was found on a path near Emmerich on the German-Dutch border after an extensive search.
Witness under scrutiny
In the trial, a man testified as a witness who had been in a car with the couple and their two young children on the day of the crime. During a stop in Emmerich, the defendant allegedly forced the young woman to perform oral sex on the other man - the later witness. As she knelt down, the 24-year-old allegedly killed her from behind, according to the prosecution.
This witness has been under scrutiny by the Siegen prosecutor's office for some time, with an investigation already underway, a spokesman said upon request. The prosecutor's office will carefully examine the written grounds for the court's decision. It will be checked whether there are any incriminating evidence from the main hearing against the 24-year-old that could also be applied to the "witness". If this person had possibly been involved in the murder in any form - for example, through "psychological assistance" - this could be an indication for a possible indictment.
The defense argues that there were errors in the evidence presentation during the trial for murder, challenging the life imprisonment sentence. The prosecutor's office is currently scrutinizing the witness who testified in the case, as there are suspicions of his involvement in the incident.
