Man sentenced to 15 years in human trafficking case in Germany

A man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison in a people-smuggling trial involving the deaths of seven migrants, a regional court in southern Germany announced on Tuesday.

The court in the state of Bavaria handed down the sentence for smuggling with fatal consequences, speeding with fatal consequences and negligent manslaughter.

The man, who was born in the Syrian capital Damascus and most recently lived in Austria, admitted in October 2023 to travelling with 22 migrants, who had originally started out from Turkey and Syria, in a minibus from Austria to Bavaria.

The minibus was reportedly designed for nine occupants.

During the journey, the vehicle crashed into some road barriers at high speed, killing seven of the migrants, including a 6-year-old.

At the start of the trial, the defendant largely admitted the accusations.

Speaking through his lawyer, the 25-year-old said he had not wanted anyone to be harmed, let alone killed.

The prosecutor had demanded a life sentence for seven counts of murder and 15 counts of attempted murder, and a finding of particularly serious guilt. This would have virtually ruled out the defendant's release after 15 years.

In his closing statement, the man's lawyer called for his client to be given a 12-year prison sentence.

"As I see it, this was an act of negligence," he said, referring to the incident as a "very tragic traffic incident."