Because of an injured thumb Dispute on church trip - participant drags pastor to court
A pastor from Wetzikon has been acquitted of the charge of assault by the Hinwil district court. A participant on a church trip to Chile had accused her of injuring his thumb during an argument on the coach.
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- A pastor was on trial for alleged assault during a trip to Chile.
- The parties involved gave completely different accounts of the incident and there were no independent witnesses.
- The court acquitted the accused due to a lack of evidence.
The case goes back to a church trip in November 2023. A group of pensioners from the parish of Wetzikon traveled through Chile under the leadership of pastor Sara T. During an excursion to a lagoon, an incident occurred on the coach that later led to legal proceedings.
On the trip were Hans K. and his then wife Claudia K. According to the indictment, the pastor noticed that Claudia K. was not in good health. When Sara T. turned to the woman, Hans K. felt disturbed. He then allegedly grabbed the pastor by the upper arm. Sara T. then defended herself and Hans K. pressed his thumb on her thigh.
The public prosecutor, who was not present on Friday, accused the pastor of injuring Hans K.'s thumb joint. He later had to undergo surgery. A fine of 22,500 francs and a fine of 5,600 francs were demanded.
Pastor in the dock
In court, however, it quickly became clear that the accounts of the two parties were far apart. Hans K. defended himself, Sara T. was represented by a lawyer.
Hans K. admitted that he had grabbed the pastor by the arm. In his version, however, she had reacted aggressively, gesticulating with her fists in front of his face and then pressing her thumb on his thigh.
Sara T. strongly contradicted this account. She explained that Hans K. had shouted at her and held her down. She had merely asked him to let go of her. She rejected the accusation that she had injured his thumb.
There were no independent witnesses who had observed the decisive moment.
Two completely different versions
Hans K. attributed the argument to an incident the day before. The pastor had advised the tour group to drink coca tea and chew coca leaves. The next day, several of the tour participants were unwell, including his wife. He suspected a connection and stated that this was why he was angry with the tour guide.
In the trial, Hans K. demanded compensation of CHF 5,328 plus interest. Although the health insurance company had covered the operation costs, it had informed him of a possible recourse. He also requested compensation of 20,000 francs.
Coca plants and shouting
The pastor's defense pleaded for acquittal. Although there was testimony against testimony, no one had seen Sara T. injure her thumb. In addition, the timing of the case spoke against the accusation: Hans K. only sought medical help around a week after returning from Chile.
After around 45 minutes of deliberation, the court acquitted Sara T. The judge emphasized that only the charge of simple assault had to be assessed. With two contradictory statements and a lack of evidence, there could be no conviction.
Clear evidence is required for guilt - this was not the case here.
The ruling is not yet legally binding and can be appealed.
