Imprisonment of three years for savage assault on Jewish students
In a significant ruling, a Berlin court has sentenced a 24-year-old individual to three years in prison for attacking Jewish student Lahav Shapira. The court found the attack to be an "antisemitic act of violence," highlighting the hate crime as a conspicuous example of the surge in antisemitic violence in Germany.
The incident occurred on February 2, 2024, when the defendant and Lahav Shapira, by chance, met in a bar in Berlin-Mitte. An argument ensued, leading to the defendant punching Shapira, causing him to fall. The defendant then kicked Shapira while he was on the ground, resulting in a complex midfacial fracture and a brain hemorrhage. Shapira had to undergo multiple surgeries as a result of the attack.
During the trial, the defendant admitted to the violent act but denied the accusation of antisemitism. The defendant's lawyer pleaded for a suspended sentence of one year and nine months, along with a fine, for intentional bodily harm in the closing statement. However, the court handed down a harsher sentence, reflecting not just the severity of the physical harm inflicted but also the antisemitic motive identified by the court.
The prosecutor, Tim Kaufmann, stated that the crime was committed because Shapira is Jewish and stood up against antisemitism. The defendant had previously accused Shapira of his behaviour in a WhatsApp group of FU students and tearing down posters at the FU. The defendant, a former FU teacher-training student, was born in Berlin and has parents from Lebanon.
In his closing statement, the defendant personally apologised to Shapira, saying "I'm sorry I caused you pain." However, the sincerity of this apology has not been extensively disclosed in available reports. The defendant also stated that the attack was not about politics but about coexistence among peers.
This case is part of a broader concerning trend in Germany where antisemitic incidents, especially attacks on Jewish individuals, have increased amid rising tensions connected to geopolitical events such as the Gaza war and amplified right-wing extremism. Jewish communities and students, particularly in eastern German states, have faced escalating hostility and violence, prompting concerns about security and social cohesion in Germany.
The sentence serves both as a legal response to the violent act and a broader societal statement against antisemitism in Germany. The apology by the defendant does not diminish the severity of the crime nor the antisemitic motive identified by the court.
The defendant was sentenced to three years in prison for a violent antisemitic attack on a Jewish student, highlighting the escalating antisemitic incidents in Germany's general-news landscape. This crime, adding to the crime-and-justice section, was not just a physical assault but also an expression of hate arising from political tensions, underscoring the need for increased vigilance against such acts.
