Suicide becomes murder: Munich I Regional Court sentences man for crime against wife
The wife was found shot dead in 2015. In an initial trial, S. was only sentenced to a two-year suspended sentence for a weapons offense; for the judges at the time, the wife 's death was a suicide. However, the Federal Court of Justice overturned this decision on appeal by the public prosecutor's office.
According to the findings of the chamber now responsible, the woman had not killed herself, but had been shot by her husband, who was living apart from her. Despite the separation initiated by the woman against her husband's wishes, the couple had remained in contact and had five children together.
According to the verdict, the two wanted to spend the night before the crime together and go on a trip with the children the next day. On the evening of the crime, the man discovered a message from an acquaintance to the woman and therefore decided to kill her.
He first shot her in the head and then tried to fake a suicide. S. then placed a cartridge in the woman's hand. The regional court was convinced of this sequence of events after taking evidence.
The defendant, on the other hand, had invented different versions of the events. First, he stated that his wife had shot herself alone. In another version, he stated that he was present. And finally, he testified that the fatal shot was fired during a tussle over the gun.
The court judged the crime to be murder with base motives. It was particularly reprehensible that the man did not want to accept his wife's decision to separate due to an excessive desire for property.
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The man was initially condemned to a two-year suspended sentence for a weapons offense, with the judges considering the wife's death a suicide. However, the public prosecutor's office challenged this decision, leading the Federal Court of Justice to overturn the verdict.
The new investigation revealed that the woman had not taken her own life but was shot by her husband. Despite their Separation initiated by the woman, they remained in contact and had five children together.
The court found that on the night of the crime, the man discovered a message from an acquaintance to his wife and decided to kill her. He first shot her in the head and then staged a suicide scene by placing a cartridge in her hand.
The regional court was convinced of this sequence of events after examining evidence, while the defendant constantly changed his story. He first claimed his wife had committed suicide alone, then stated he was present, and finally testified that the fatal shot was fired during a struggle.
The court ultimately classified the crime as murder with base motivations. Thecase was particularly condemnable because the man refused to accept his wife's decision to separate due to his excessive greed for property.
As a result of the new trial, the man was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife in Munich. The regional court's decision was upheld by the higher Federal Court of Justice.
The wife's death had shocking consequences for the couple's five children, who were left to grapple with the loss of their mother and the reality of their father's guilt. The public prosecutor's office vowed to pursue justice for the victim and ensure that the perpetrator faced the full consequences of his actions.
In response to the case, public outcry grew over the initial light sentence handed down to the man with regard to the weapons offense, leading to a call for reforms in the German criminal justice system. The incident also sparked renewed debate on the resources and procedures needed to ensure that victims of domestic violence receive adequate protection and support.
Since the sentence, the man's wife has become a symbol of the tragic and all-too-common consequences of domestic violence in Germany, prompting calls for increased efforts to prevent and address such cases.
Source: www.stern.de
