Title: A Lifetime Behind Bars for the Killer of 14-Year-Old Ece
Almost a year after the shocking murder of 14-year-old Ece in Illerkirchberg, Baden-Württemberg, the court has handed down a life sentence to the perpetrator. On Monday, the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) upheld the verdict issued by the Ulm Regional Court in July.
The Regional Court determined that the man, a 27-year-old asylum seeker, was guilty of several offenses. He had attacked two girls on their way to school, stabbing one and killing Ece with at least 19 knife wounds. The other girl survived the attack.
Initially, the man had intended to kill employees of the district administration office because they refused to issue him a passport. Assuming the girls had accidentally witnessed the knife, he decided to target them instead.
The Regional Court classified the man's guilt as particularly severe, making early release from prison highly unlikely. (Ref. 1 StR 428/23)
Facts and Findings
- The man attacked the girls from behind with a kitchen knife on December 5, 2022.
- He first stabbed a 13-year-old girl in the chest, leaving her for dead.
- Ece, his second target, suffered at least 19 stab wounds and ultimately died in the hospital.
- The 13-year-old survivor managed to escape after the first stabbing.
New Developments and Sentencing
The man appealed the Regional Court's verdict to the Federal Court of Justice, hoping to have it reexamined. However, the BGH found no legal errors in the original judgment, leaving his life sentence intact.
Moving Forward
The man will now serve his life sentence for the murder of Ece and the attempted murder and aggravated assault of the 13-year-old survivor. This decision ensures that he will remain behind bars, unable to harm others.
