Justice Bern High Court sentences man to 20 years for murder
It remains the same: a 44-year-old man from Afghanistan must serve 20 years behind bars for the murder of his wife. On Wednesday, the Bernese High Court confirmed the first-instance verdict in full.
19.03.2025, 09:19
19.03.2025, 16:37
SDA
The man killed his wife with 165 knife stabs in front of his children in an asylum shelter in Büren an der Aare BE on an April night in 2022 because she wanted to separate from him, the High Court also concluded on Wednesday. There was no doubt about the perpetrator.
The man's statements were completely implausible and contradictory. In contrast, the statements of the witnesses, above all the couple's children, were credible.
The defendant had not shied away from accusing his wife and portraying himself as a victim. The High Court sentenced the man to 20 years' imprisonment for murder. After his release, he will be deported from the country for 15 years.
The defense lawyer had previously tried to mitigate the sentence in the first instance. His client had noticed a stab in his hand that night in a family room in the asylum accommodation in Büren an der Aare and had defended himself in a violent emotional state against the attack he had perceived.
It was only when the light in the room was switched on that it became clear that the Afghan was stabbing his wife. But the man had been in a mad frenzy and had not been able to let go of the woman.
His client should not be found guilty of murder, but of manslaughter and sentenced to a maximum of seven years in prison, demanded the defense lawyer.
The public prosecutor, on the other hand, emphasized that the bestial act was undoubtedly murder. The Afghan was morbidly jealous.
The accused sobbed in court that he had not killed his wife. He had been injured himself. The witnesses had not given correct information. It was also not true that his wife had wanted to separate from him. The verdict is not yet legally binding and can be appealed to the Federal Supreme Court.
