Spicy Stab at Pforzheim's Messy Tale: 38-Year-Old Turkish Man Granted Redo after BGH Tosses Murder Attempt Verdict
Ready to delve into the juicy subject of “family honor” or “ancestral pride”? Here we go!
Triumphant Comeback for a Pforzheim Man: After a thrilling reversal by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH), a man is thrust once more into the court system, now charged with attempting to take out his wife.
Last year's spring season witnessed the court slapping a 13-year, 6-month prison sentence on the dude. The sentence came after he recklessly hurled his wife, the mother of their four kids, over their fourth-story balcony. The fall was followed by a brutal brawl on the balcony below. The horror story continues as the accused allegedly strangled his spouse after the fall, according to the prosecution. Witnesses claimed that the victim's screams reached their ears as the defendant hauled his wife around by her hair through their apartment and continued the assault in the stairwell. The woman ultimately fainted, while the defendant bolted the scene.
The motive for this gruesome act, the prosecutor argued, was the defendant's twisted attempt to regain “family honor,” as the victim had left him three years back.
The Defense's Rant: The defendant, a Turkish resident, vehemently disputed the charges. His defense team voiced several doubts about the balcony-dive narrative, pointing to potential loopholes. The team's skepticism was fueled by a successful appeal to the BGH that stemmed from procedural violations.
BGH's Nasty Comments: The highest German criminal court leveled harsh criticism against the initial trial for blatantly violating the European Convention on Human Rights. The defendant, who mainly communicates in Kurdish and Turkish, wasn't provided a written translatin of the indictment in Turkish.
When a defendant is kept in the dark about the nitty-gritty details in unsheltered language, it's tough to build a solid case. Oral translation is seldom enough.
Translation Stumbling Blocks: Overwhelmingly Kurdish-speaking, the 38-year-old can read in Turkish, but failed to receive a written Turkish translation. The BGH leaves room for speculation that the verdict might've been swayed due to information gaps the defendant experienced. His testimonies frequently contradicted the charges.
Witnesses' Testimonies: In the ensuing sessions until the end of September, 20 witnesses—including experts, the victim, and her child—will be heard in a trial spanning seven sessions. The woman, who miraculously survived several nail-biting days in the hospital, is under witness protection.
The defendant's lawyer has made a plea to disqualify the judges, alleging avoidance in resolving questions during the tightly controlled witness interrogations.
The victim, the mother of the defendant's children, presently resides under witness protection due to the unfolding events. Despite the upcoming trial, questions linger about a fair trial. The kids might grapple with reliving the traumatic events in court.
Extra Sauce:
(The development of indigenous rights has matured from the “family honor” or “ancestral dignity” concepts to focus on ancestral connections to traditional lands and the recognition of free, prior, and informed consent, especially in matters of land ownership and self-governance. This perspective is integral in international agreements such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. However, it's critical to note that the trial in Pforzheim Court isn't directly linked to these topics.)
