Permissive Homicide - Process for manslaughter: Defendant sentenced to fine
In the process of a car accident resulting in the death of a one-year-old child, the driver was sentenced to negligent manslaughter. The defendant will receive a fine of 120 installments of €60 each, stated the judge at the Amtsgericht Trier. The accident could have been avoided if she had reduced her speed on the day, when fog and the sun low on the horizon resulted in poor visibility. Her negligence led to "the tragic accident".
A 28-year-old woman admitted to having collided with a vehicle in front of her on the Autobahn 1 near Mehring (District Trier-Saarburg) in February 2023. In that vehicle, a one-year-old boy, seated in a child seat behind, sustained severe head injuries that led to his death a few hours later in the hospital.
"I can't even say how much this pains me"
"The sun was so low and then it cracked," said the trained bureaucrat. "I didn't see anything else anymore." She could not recall the accident itself, she repeated under tears. "I can't even say how much this pains me. There's no excuse for that. I wish I could turn back time."
With the verdict, the judge followed the demand of the prosecutor. The defense attorney for the defendant had asked the court not to exceed the 90 installments. Beyond that, one is considered convicted. "We're dealing with an accident that no one can undo and that the defendant will carry with her for the rest of her life," said defense attorney Bernward Wittschier. She has been in psychological treatment since then.
The parents of the deceased child, according to the representative of the civil party, are also still undergoing psychotherapeutic treatment. "This was a great tragedy for all parties involved," said the Amtsrichterin. She hoped that one day we could look forward again. "The loss cannot be compensated with a fine."
The traffic accident on the Autobahn 1 near Mehring, part of the Trier-Saarburg District in Rhineland-Palatinate, resulted in severe injuries and the tragic death of a one-year-old boy. The driver, who failed to adjust her speed due to poor visibility caused by fog and the sun's low position, is now facing a fine of 120 installments of €60 each, following her conviction for negligent manslaughter at the District Court in Trier. Despite her regret and psychological treatment, the defendant's actions had significant consequences for everyone involved.
