Men found guilty of carrying out justice against a voodoo ritualist.
A family believed that a man from Cameroon could multiply money through magic, so they gave him 15,000 euros. However, the man disappeared with the money instead of doing the magic. To get their money back, several men kidnapped him in an action straight out of a movie. As a result, they have now been sentenced, but not yet convicted.
Approximately 18 months after the Leipzig police witnessed a kidnapping involving a voodoo magician, five men have received suspended sentences. Judge Bernd Gicklhorn of the Leipzig Regional Court justified his decision by stating the case had been "portrayed less dramatically than initially charged." It turned out to be a peculiar self-help incident. Four men received two-year prison sentences for robbery, threatening violence, and attempted extortion, while another defendant received a six-month sentence for assisting in the crime. All sentences were suspended. The court's decision is not yet legally binding. The prosecution is considering filing an appeal.
The peculiar situation began when a family from Syria residing in Magdeburg met a man claiming to be a voodoo magician from Cameroon who could multiply money. Trusting in his abilities, the family gave him 15,000 euros. However, his magical claims were unfounded, as evidenced by his failure to multiply the money. "The family was tricked by a scam, and the court has not yet fully accepted this," explained the judge. The lack of practical sense, unbelievable confidence, and ridiculous statements by the magician all contributed to the family members' deception. The family's reluctance to share the situation with police was due to the desire to maintain their honor and avoid admitting their gullibility.
The father of the family felt responsible for recovering the money. He enlisted the help of his two sons and friends to find the swindler in a residential area of Leipzig. In a thrilling scene reminiscent of a movie, the masked men kidnapped the man. As they attempted to scare bystanders, they fired shots into the sky in the crowded neighborhood. When they didn't find the money, the kidnappers took the man to Magdeburg, where they beat him and tied him up. Their ransom demand to the victim's uncle was unsuccessful, as he refused to pay. So, the men returned to Leipzig after two days to search the magician's apartment once more. They were arrested by police monitoring the apartment.
Prosecutor Sebastian Batzer explained that the kidnapping charges could not be proven, as the victim did not feel threatened with death although shots were fired. The victim previously told an investigating judge that he was beaten but not threatened with death. Moreover, funds were not demanded; the family's goal was to recover the stolen money. The public prosecutor had sought a prison sentence of up to three years and four months for three men and probation for the others. In contrast, the defense requested an acquittal for one of the men and probation for the others. The alleged Voodoo sorcerer remains under investigation. Before leaving the courtroom, the accused apologized and begged for a second chance.
Read also:
- Despite the International Community's criticism, the Leipzig court's decision to suspend sentences for the men involved in the kidnapping case has caused controversy.
- The accused in the Leipzig kidnapping case, who claimed to be a voodoo magician, argued that the Justice System did not fully consider the 'Justice' they sought in recovering their money through 'processes' that went astray.
- The International Criminal Court is monitoring the ongoing investigation of the alleged Voodoo sorcerer involved in the Leipzig kidnapping case, which may have international implications due to the alleged kidnapping across borders.
