GERMANY-TRIAL Teenager jailed for three years for killing a young woman during an argument at a fast food restaurant car park

Record ID: 136118

  • Title: GERMANY-TRIAL Teenager jailed for three years for killing a young woman during an argument at a fast food restaurant car park
  • Date: 16th June 2015
  • Summary: DARMSTADT, GERMANY (JUNE 16, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF DARMSTADT REGIONAL COURT SIGN FOR COURT VARIOUS OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE COURT, WOMAN WEARING T-SHIRT WITH PHOTO OF TUGCE ALBAYRAK
  • Embargoed: 1st July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA5HSO70VWII4WEI2Q4DRNLIDHL
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: An 18-year-old man was sentenced to three years in juvenile prison in the southern German city of Darmstadt on Tuesday (June 16) after being found guilty of severely beating 22-year-old university student Tugce Albayrak during an argument on a fast food restaurant's parking lot last November, ultimately resulting in the victim's death.
    According to police at the time, Tugce Albayrak came to the rescue of two other young women who were being harassed by a group of men in the early hours of November 15, 2014 outside a fast food restaurant in Offenbach, outside Frankfurt.
    The suspect in the case, 18-year-old Sanel M. from Offenbach, was arrested later the same night.
    The victim suffered severe head injuries and fell into a coma before her family allowed doctors to turn off her life support days later, the day of her 23rd birthday.
    At the time, the crime attracted international attention and sparked a national debate in Germany on civil courage.
    The accused was said to have beaten the victim against the head during a verbal dispute before the victim was believed to have fallen over backwards, hitting concrete and thereby suffering serious head injuries.
    "The court sentenced the accused to three years in juvenile prison which only differs slightly from what the state prosecutors demanded. The court presented a very balanced argument and its evaluation is fully in accordance with the state prosecutor," chief prosecutor Alexander Hemm told journalists after the verdict and sentence were passed.
    But the defence lawyer said they would be looking into an appeal.
    "As we said in our plea, we thought a suspended sentence would be appropriate. That's not what we got. We knew from the beginning that it could turn out this way although this is not what he had hoped for or what we thought was right. We are now looking into an appeal," lawyer Stephan Kuhn told reporters.
    Outside the court, candles were lit and arranged to spell the name Tugce, while one family friend said not enough had been done.
    "I was so hurt, this has to be changed. It's not right. I don't understand the law," said Guel Akcayir.
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