AN AMERICAN woman is facing up to 10 years in jail after allegedly accidentally stabbing a man to death when he groped her at a train station.
The 20-year-old was reportedly standing on an escalator at a station in Germany when the assailant grabbed her backside earlier this year.
After turning around to confront him, the woman is alleged to have pulled out a folding knife and made stabbing motions toward him.
In the resulting struggle, she is accused of stabbing the man, a 64-year-old originally from Eritrea, in the heart.
He died within seconds.
An autopsy showed the man died from a knife wound to the heart, deputy chief prosecutor Dominik Ludwig said in a statement.
The woman then left the scene leading to a police search for her.
She later turned herself in at a nearby police station.
The woman in the southwestern German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, who resides in the city of Kaiserslautern, faces charges related to causing bodily harm leading to death.
If found guilty she faces up to 10 years in prison at a youth court.
According to German and American officials, the woman was born in Germany but is an American citizen.
She is not affiliated with the US military, which still has some 40 bases in Germany, a legacy of the Cold War.
The American, who has not been named, claimed she was acting in self-defense after being assaulted on June 29 this year.
Reports say the man grabbed her arm holding the knife and as she tried to free herself, she stabbed him in the chest “during the same movement.”
Prosecutors say the woman claims she was trying to keep the man – who also hasn’t been named – at a distance.
Security footage of the stabbing also reportedly suggests the intention wasn’t to kill the man.
For this reason, prosecutors have charged her with bodily harm rather than with murder or manslaughter.
AMERICAN WOMAN STABBED GROPER ABROAD
A YOUNG American woman, 20, allegedly stabbed a man to death after he groped her at a train station in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Kaiserslautern’s Chief Public Prosecutor Dr. Udo Gehring put out the following statement:
“After completing the investigation, the Kaiserslautern public prosecutor’s office has brought charges for an incident in Kaiserslautern Central Station that took place on the afternoon of June 29, 2024, in which a 64-year-old man was stabbed to death by a 20-year-old woman.
“With the charges, the Kaiserslautern public prosecutor’s office is accusing the 20-year-old of bodily harm resulting in death.
“According to the results of the investigation, the stabbing was preceded by the 64-year-old sexually harassing the 20-year-old by grabbing her buttocks, [which led to] an exchange of words, and the 20-year-old opening a folding knife she was carrying and making stabbing movements in the direction of the 64-year-old, whereupon he backed away and the 20-year-old followed him.
“The 64-year-old then grabbed the 20-year-old’s arm, which she was using to wield the knife.
“The 20-year-old freed herself from this grip and stabbed once in the same movement.
“As she hit the man’s heart, he died within a few seconds.
“The 20-year-old has made statements on the matter.
“In particular, she stated that she did not aim for the heart.
“The public prosecutor’s office agrees with this.
“The charge of bodily harm resulting in death requires intent only with regard to the bodily harm and (only) negligence with regard to the death.
“The 20-year-old also claims that she acted in order to keep the man at a distance and to defend herself.
“The charges were brought before the youth chamber of the Kaiserslautern regional court, which must now decide whether to open the main proceedings.”
But they still argue she went beyond the grounds of self-defense.
“The public prosecutor’s office does not believe that the stabbing was justified by self-defense,” a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office told the German tabloid Bild.
Police have since released the woman.
A youth court is due to decide whether or not to accept the charge against her.
Investigators are looking to determine why the woman was carrying a knife at the time.
They are also looking for additional witness testimony and forensic evidence connected with the case.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
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