Federal Court of Justice quashes conviction of pensioner in murder trial without a body
Germany's highest criminal court has overturned the conviction of a 75-year-old in the case of a missing prostitute. The Bamberg Regional Court had sentenced the man to twelve years in prison.
Federal Court of Justice quashes conviction of pensioner in murder trial without a body
Karlsruhe has quashed the conviction of a 75-year-old man from Upper Franconia. The Bamberg Regional Court had sentenced the pensioner to twelve years in prison for manslaughter of a 33-year-old prostitute. However, judges at the highest court saw the evidence as insufficient.
The missing woman, a native of Bulgaria, has not been seen since August 2024. She was last seen on the defendant's property. The pensioner, who has a long criminal record, had previously transferred a large sum of money to the woman. He allegedly wanted her to live with him in his native country.
On the day she went missing, the 33-year-old reportedly demanded further financial payments. Shortly afterwards, she sent a voice message to a friend in which she expressed her fear that the older man could kill her. Since then, all trace of her has been lost.
The Karlsruhe court's criticism of the first instance verdict was scathing. The jury court had interpreted the circumstantial evidence one-sidedly and overweighted incriminating testimony. Evidence pointing to the defendant's innocence had not been sufficiently examined. Moreover, the Bamberg judges had not considered other possible perpetrators. The Federal Court of Justice explicitly named earlier clients of the woman who would also have had financial motives for her disappearance.
The lawyer for the acquitted man is now aiming for full acquittal in new proceedings before another chamber. He contests that the suspected time of the crime of only a few minutes would have been sufficient for a killing. Blood found in his client's vehicle could also be interpreted differently.
The missing woman's mother is suffering from the uncertainty. Without a funeral, she cannot come to terms with the loss of her daughter.
Source: BILD
Source: BILD