A firecracker rocks the Augsburg-Hoffenheim Bundesliga game. 14 stadium visitors, including several children, were injured. The case is now going to court – with an unusual judge.
Around four months after a serious firecracker was thrown during the Bundesliga game Augsburg against Hoffenheim, four men will have to answer before the Augsburg regional court from Tuesday (1.30 p.m.).
According to investigators, 14 people were injured, some of them seriously, when the firecracker exploded in the Augsburg Arena on November 11th, including five children.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the victims suffered blast trauma and other injuries, and some were still feeling the consequences of the incident months after the game (1-1).
Main accused in custody
The main suspect is accused of causing an explosive explosion and causing grievous bodily harm. The then 28-year-old man from the Göppingen area was arrested shortly after the detonation and has been in custody ever since and faces several years in prison. The three other defendants have to answer for aiding and abetting.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the defendants were Hoffenheim fans
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the quartet are Hoffenheim fans. The police suspect that the main defendant smuggled the firecracker into the stadium in his underpants past security personnel. The firecracker is said to have had significantly more explosive power than the usual New Year’s Eve firecrackers approved in Germany.
Application for bias against the presiding judge
There had already been a request for bias against the presiding judge before the trial. The reason is that it is the honorary president of the Bavarian Football Association, Christoph Kern. Kern is chairman of the criminal division of the regional court responsible for the case. However, the application for bias was rejected. Four days of negotiations have been planned for the process until mid-April.
Broadcast on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, 5:00 p.m., SWR Aktuell in the evening, SWR Aktuell