display
Würzburg (dpa / lby) - In the process of the violent death of a baby in Lower Franconia, the chief public prosecutor has pleaded for the 24-year-old defendant to be convicted of manslaughter.
Before the regional court in Würzburg, he demanded a twelve-year prison sentence for the German accused of murder.
His defense lawyer, however, spoke out in favor of a prison sentence of seven years for bodily harm resulting in death.
The 24-year-old is accused of abusing and suffocating his then partner's eight-month-old baby just before Christmas 2019, he denies this.
After taking evidence from the main hearing, the chief public prosecutor assumed that the defendant had seriously injured the crying baby in the abdomen through a "massive attack".
In order to stop the growing screaming, he held the boy's mouth and nose for two to three minutes, suffocating him.
A later death from the boy's internal injuries was very likely anyway.
Thus, the defendant had "at least accepted the death of the child".
Despite their young adulthood - the couple was "basically slithering towards a catastrophe from the beginning" - the massive and violent attacks against a "completely defenseless victim" would weigh heavily and lead to the required imprisonment of twelve years.
display
The defense attorney did not assume an accidental death, but rather “active influence”.
But he also sees the responsibility in the youth welfare office and emphasized the diagnosed emotional personality disorder of his client.
A willful intent to kill is ruled out for him, rather he assumes an "intent to injure".
The verdict will be pronounced next Monday.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210219-99-512120 / 2
Police crime statistics 2019 on victims nationwide