Resumption of the trial after fatal stabbings in front of the Würzburg disco

More than three years after the fatal stabbing of a man in front of a Würzburg disco and the defendant's later acquittal, the 25-year-old is back in court. The Federal Court of Justice overturned the first decision of the Würzburg Regional Court in the matter from summer 2024. Now the process must be reopened before the same regional court, but in a different chamber.

The proceedings are likely to be difficult, among other things because the crime happened a long time ago and many witnesses may not be able to remember exactly the evening in and before the disco. The key question is likely to be whether the defendant acted in self-defense. In the first trial, the 25-year-old admitted stabbing the 28-year-old club visitor. Two other men were also injured in the crime in September 2023.

In 2024, the Würzburg regional court could not rule out that the accused Spaniard had acted in self-defense and therefore acquitted him.

The public prosecutor, however, had demanded a twelve-year prison sentence for manslaughter and appealed after the verdict.

The defendant was drunk at the time of the crime

At the start of the new trial, the three defense lawyers read out a statement from the defendant: "I wish I could undo it," they said on behalf of their client, who apologized to the victims and their families. The 25-year-old therefore cites gaps in his memory, also because he drank a lot of alcohol. He was pushed across the street in front of the club and insulted and was faced with “four or five opponents”.

According to the indictment, the 25-year-old is said to have verbally harassed several women in front of the discotheque. When a man tried to stop him, he was said to be aggressive and unreasonable. A bouncer is said to have slapped the suspect several times.

According to the investigation, the later victim tried to mediate the matter, but ended up having a physical altercation with the defendant. The 25-year-old is said to have stabbed the 28-year-old with a knife.