Zweibrücken Regional Court Opens Main Trial on Charges of Bodily Harm Resulting in Death – Murder Charge Not Admitted

The Zweibrücken Public Prosecutor's Office had, however, brought a charge of murder. It accuses the defendant of having acted out of anger over the inspection. According to the prosecution, the defendant is alleged to have accepted the risk of seriously injuring the train conductor. The prosecution took the view that the accused had "billigend in Kauf" (acceptingly tolerated) the death of the train conductor.

Court's Reasoning

The Zweibrücken Regional Court has now announced that it currently sees insufficient evidence of an intent to kill. As a result, an intent to kill – which under German criminal law is a fundamental prerequisite for a conviction for murder or manslaughter – is lacking. The Chamber decided: The main trial will be opened – but only on the charge of bodily harm resulting in death. The charge is bodily harm resulting in death – an offense which under German criminal law can be punished with a prison sentence of three to fifteen years.

In its reasoning, the court explained that while the defendant intended the physical mistreatment of the train conductor, he did not want his death nor consciously accepted it. Should evidence of an intent to kill emerge during the trial, the court could change its legal assessment and expand the charges accordingly. Thereafter, a conviction for murder or manslaughter would still be possible.

Reactions from the Prosecution and the Joint Plaintiffs

The 26-year-old has admitted the punches to the investigators. However, the Regional Court emphasized that the opening of the main trial does not yet constitute a decision on the guilt of the defendant. According to investigators, the accused is a Greek national from Luxembourg.

The Zweibrücken Public Prosecutor's Office told SWR that it could not file any legal remedies. The Chamber's decision to open the main trial on the charge of bodily harm resulting in death is therefore formally final. The attorney representing the victim's family, however, announced that he was considering filing an objection and a motion for recusal.

Outlook on the Main Trial

The trial will take place before the 1st Grand Criminal Chamber of the Zweibrücken Regional Court and is scheduled to begin on 24 June. At the center of the taking of evidence will be the question of whether the defendant consciously accepted the possible death of his counterpart or whether he merely acceptingly tolerated bodily harm.

The case attracted nationwide attention because it raises the question of what criminal-law assessment is warranted for spontaneous violence arising from an everyday situation such as a ticket inspection. The distinction between bodily harm resulting in death and a killing offense is legally decisive, because it significantly affects the minimum and maximum sentences. While bodily harm resulting in death carries a possible prison sentence of three to fifteen years, the Criminal Code provides for a life sentence for murder.

Should the main trial produce new evidence of an intent to kill, an escalation of the charge would, in the court's words, remain fundamentally possible. Only after the taking of evidence is concluded will it become clear whether the trial will remain on the charge of bodily harm resulting in death or whether the indictment will be expanded to include murder or manslaughter. The Regional Court also emphasized that the opening of the main trial does not represent any statement on the question of guilt.

The proceedings were reported on by Deutschlandfunk on 12 June 2026. The Criminal Chamber's decision is based exclusively on the current state of the investigations; a final legal assessment remains reserved for the outcome of the main trial.