Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Fatal Assault on Train Conductor

A German court on Thursday handed down a 10-year prison sentence to a 26-year-old man who fatally assaulted a train conductor during a ticket inspection in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate five months ago.

The court sitting in Zweibrücken found that the man had attacked the conductor after being found without a ticket, hitting the conductor so hard that he later died of a brain haemorrhage.

The assailant was found guilty of causing bodily harm resulting in death. The sentence is open to appeal.

The lawyer representing the victim’s family announced before the verdict that they would appeal both the conviction and the sentence. The conductor’s relatives, who did not attend the verdict and sentencing hearing, had sought a conviction for manslaughter or murder.

The case sparked a debate in Germany over how to improve safety on trains. National railway operator Deutsche Bahn announced plans to issue bodycams to conductors and on board restaurant staff as part of efforts to improve security.

The assault in this case was recorded on cameras installed in the regional express train where the attack occurred.