Lari (Bavaria) – As presiding judge Heike Will began the final sentence of his reasons for his decision, his voice faltered. Tears welled up in his eyes. “The legal system has dealt you a great injustice. We would like to apologize to you for that!” he said to the defendant.
In the murder trial surrounding the death of medical student Hanna W. (23), the regional court of Traunstein (Bavaria) 23 year old trainee Sebastian T. from Aschau released on Monday! The youth chamber saw it as proof that he had nothing to do with the medical student’s death.
Ice cellar under Aschau Castle in Chiemgau. Hanna visited a music club in early October 2022 and then died horribly
Flawed evidence and false statements
Early March 2024, Sebastian T. was still charged with killing Hanna W nine years in juvenile detention convicted – solely on the basis of incriminating testimony from fellow prisoners. The young man always protested his innocence. That The decision of first instance was overturned by the Federal Court. The trainee was released in June 31 months after his arrest and the case was reopened. The ruling was originally scheduled for mid-December, but the process was shortened.
Medical student Hanna W. drowned in 2022 at the age of 23. Sebastian T.’s defense assumes an accident
Judge Heike Will explained this as follows: “There is no DNA, either from Hanna on the defendant or from the defendant on Hanna.” And all the incriminating witness statements also turned out to be untrue.
Sebastian T. was charged with false statements
A fellow inmate stated that T. had made a confession in prison. However, according to the psychological report, this witness was mentally ill and could not be trusted. “No sentence can be based on this information,” the judge explained – it was judged differently at first.
Judge Heike Will at the hearing at the Laufen district courthouse
The defendant’s girlfriend at the time had also made serious accusations against him – with statements that later turned out to be completely false. “There is no evidence that the defendant was responsible for Hanna’s death. Therefore, he was acquitted,” stressed Will. It is still unclear whether the student was the victim of an accident. “Even though it may not satisfy the family,” said the judge.
The judge demanded consequences for the police
That Prosecutor’s Office has also applied for release, but still commits violent crimes. T.’s defenders – Munich lawyer Regina Rick and her colleague Yves Georg from Hamburg – considered the accident and saw their client’s innocence proven.
Sebastian T. in the arms of his mother Iris after his release. Both were photographed by BILD reporters
Both attorneys criticized the investigative work POLICE sharply – and won support from Judge Will: “There were a number of errors in the inquiry process. But it is not the responsibility of the tribunal to judge; that has to be done elsewhere.”
For Sebastian T.’s family, the release was a huge relief. Defendant’s mother: “A lot of things are lost on us now. I hope all doubts are now gone and Sebastian can live a normal life again, do his training and walk through Aschau in peace.”
