Theresa Stahl was hit by a drunk three years ago. She died shortly thereafter. The first judgment in the case caused a nationwide surge. What’s next?
Photo: Daniel Peter
Theresa Stahl has now been dead for a little more than three years. At the end of April 2017, the then 20-year-old was hit by a car near Untereisenheim (district of Wrzburg). At the wheel an 18 year old, very drunk. A few days later the young woman succumbed to her injuries. In October 2019, the driver was fined 5,000 euros. The three co-defendants, who were driving in the accident car but did not help, were also fined. The public prosecutor appealed on the day of the judgment. If the case comes back to court in a few months, it will start under new circumstances.
The ruling caused an outcry and a debate nationwide about why alcohol consumption could ultimately alleviate punishment: An expert had declared the main accused guilty of intoxication, which is why the young man was convicted not for negligent murder but for negligent intoxication. The public prosecutor and the court raised doubts about the report during the proceedings. The court “fought against the expert opinion”, emphasized judge Bernd Krieger. But he couldn’t ignore it.
New lawyer is no stranger
In the appeal proceedings before the regional court, a further report on the schoolworthiness of the main accused will now play a role. It was commissioned at the request of the public prosecutor, a court spokesman confirmed to this editorial office. However, the report is not yet available. “There are therefore no new findings so far,” the spokesman continued.
Meanwhile, Theresa’s parents will also appear as co-plaintiffs. Father Ronald Stahl has taken on a new lawyer. The Nrnberger criminal and traffic lawyer Philipp Schulz-Merkel is no stranger to the legal community. Most recently, he appeared as a defender in the lawsuit against the S-Bahn pushers from Nuremberg, which had thrown three young people into the track, two of whom died.
“In our view, the case has not yet been sufficiently cleared up.”
Philipp Schulz-Merkel, lawyer of Theresa’s father Ronald Stahl–
Schulz-Merkel still sees many open questions in the Eisenheim process. “In our view, the case has not yet been sufficiently clarified,” he explains in an interview with the editorial team. The question of who drove has to be brought up again in the appeal process. After the trial in October, even the main defendant rumored that he would have assumed that he had driven after the evidence was taken. However, he couldn’t remember anything. In addition, process observers criticized that questions regarding the course of the evening remained open and that important witnesses, including investigators, were not heard.
“Ultimately, the punishment that comes out is of secondary importance,” emphasizes Schulz-Merkel. Theresa’s family is about “that in the end it is clear what happened so that they can end with Theresa’s fate”.
How Theresa’s family spent the third anniversary of death
Theresa’s friend can now also get advice from a lawyer. Whether he will play a role in the process is still open, explained his lawyer Norman Jacob junior.
When the appointment process starts is still open. “An appointment has not yet been made,” said the court spokesman. The negotiation was originally planned for autumn. Whether this is durable is “not yet foreseeable”.
Meanwhile, the Stahl family celebrated Theresa’s third anniversary of death on April 28. “We brought flowers to the grave,” says father Ronald, “and then ate pizza together as in the good old days.”
Note: The author of this text is not related to the victim’s family.
–
-
Eisenheim
-
Benjamin Stahl
-
parents
-
Investigators
-
Fines
-
Reviewers
-
Lawyers
-
Public prosecutor
-
Penalty types
-
Mitigation
-
Vter
-
Witnesses
–
–
–
