EGN NEWS DESK
A German court docket on Monday convicted an American man of raping and murdering a girl and trying to homicide her companion close to the Neuschwanstein Castle, one of many nation’s most well-known vacationer locations.
A close-by bridge identified for its panoramic views of the fairy-tale fort grew to become a criminal offense scene in June when the 31-year-old man attacked two younger American girls, who had been on a visit to Europe after their school commencement.
In imposing a life sentence, the court docket established the “specific gravity of the guilt,” a spokesman for the court docket stated, including that the person was charged with homicide and rape ensuing within the dying in relation to the primary sufferer, and tried homicide and grievous bodily hurt in relation to the second. This signifies that the defendant won’t be eligible for parole after the customary 15 years, although probably at a later date.
(In Germany, a life sentence isn’t for a particular time interval. A convicted particular person is normally allowed to use for parole after 15 years after which, if rejected, to reapply each two years.)
Following privateness legal guidelines, German authorities didn’t title the defendant or the ladies, however household and buddies recognized the victims as 21-year-old Eva Liu, who died, and Kelsey Chang, 22. The two buddies had lately graduated from the University of Illinois.
According to the police, the 2 buddies didn’t know the attacker, however had met him that day by the Pöllat Bridge, which appears to be like out onto Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany’s southern state of Bavaria, close to the Austrian border. The man persuaded the ladies to hitch him on a little-used path main into the forest, towards picturesque cliffs surrounding the fort.
He then attacked Ms. Liu and began to choke her. Ms. Chang tried to fend off the attacker, however was rapidly overcome by the person and pushed into the Pöllat Gorge beneath, falling some 165 toes, in accordance with the German information company, DPA, which was current on the trial.
The man then strangled Ms. Liu with a belt and raped her. He filmed and photographed the assault, which the judge overseeing the trial stated was in all probability meant as a “trophy” however grew to become essential incriminating proof within the case.
The assailant then pushed the girl down the gorge after her pal. “He disposed of her like a bag of rubbish,” DPA quoted stated the judge as saying in court docket.
A helicopter rescue mission later retrieved each girls and took them to the hospital, however solely Ms. Chang survived.
The judge additionally instructed the court docket that the ladies might have particularly been focused due to their Asian heritage, in accordance with DPA. He stated the defendant apparently had a choice for Asian girls, referring to pornographic movies police present in his possession.
A spokesman for the court docket stated that the defendant would have one week to attraction the choice.
Only if the judgment is made closing, he stated, wouldn’t it be determined whether or not the defendant needs to be extradited to the United States to serve his sentence or stay in Germany.
