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[M] Oliver Berg / picture alliance; Private
Four and a half years after the death of a student with diabetes on a school trip, the Mönchengladbach regional court could soon convict two teachers. The public prosecutor's office accuses them of negligent homicide. They are said to have looked after 13-year-old Emily too late during the trip to London in the summer of 2019.
On Monday, the presiding judge Martin Alberring said that based on the evidence taken so far, a criminal offense could be considered negligent homicide, said press spokesman Sven Barbian.
During the trial, Emily's friends described how they had unsuccessfully drawn attention to the 13-year-old's condition. They are said to have told the supervisors how badly the girl was feeling and that she was “vomiting incessantly.” The student ultimately died in a London hospital.
Judge Alberring said the board found the students' statements to be credible.
No query
Before the trial began, he had indicated that three possible breaches of duty of care were possible: whether the defendants should have made written inquiries about the illnesses of the participating students; whether they should have informed Emily's parents about their child's health on the second day of the trip; and whether they should have taken a personal look at Emily that day and cared.
The accused women initially did not want to comment on the allegations. During the course of the proceedings, they finally admitted that they had not asked about the students' previous illnesses before the trip. They both claimed that they hadn't noticed how badly Emily was feeling. Judge Alberring explained on Monday, according to the “Rheinische Post,” that they had made a confession with their statements on the last day of the trial.
The verdict could be announced on the next day of the trial, February 15th.
jjc