Three intoxicated men, aged 22 to 26, have been sentenced for beating a gay man to death in a railroad yard in Chemnitz last year. The prosecution said the group's extreme right-wing views played no role in the killing.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Woitas
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A court in the eastern German city of Chemnitz has convicted three men of manslaughter in the killing of a 27-year-old gay man in a nearby town.
The court sentenced 26-year-old Terenc H. to 14 years in prison and Stephan H. and Jens H., both 22 years old, to 11 years each.
The trio, who were drunk and high on drugs, beat up Christopher W. in the town of Aue in April 2018 before kicking his head after they put it up against a concrete wall.
Chief prosecutor Stephan Butzkies said it was not proven that either the group's extreme right-wing views or the homophobic views of one of the group members motivated the killing.
The crime instead resulted from a "singular dynamic" that had developed in the lead-up to the assault.
The final sentences were less than what the prosecution had asked for. Prosecutors had accused Terenc H. of being the group's leader and demanded he be convicted of murder, rather than manslaughter.
LAG Queer Network Saxony, a gay rights group, said the court did not adequately consider the men's homophobic views in its decision.
Editor's note: DW follows the German press code, which stresses the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected criminals or victims and obliges us to refrain from revealing full names in such cases.
Thousands attend Chemnitz concert against racism
In response to a wave of anti-migrant demonstrations, thousands attended a concert in Chemnitz to protest xenophobia. The line-up included local bands such as Kraftklub, as well as well-known punk band Die Toten Hosen.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Kahnert
#wirsindmehr
More than 65,000 people turned out for the #wirsindmehr (literally "we are more") concert in Chemnitz to protest against neo-Nazi violence. Speaking at the start of the show, organizers said they wanted to show there was "no place in Chemnitz for Nazis." The lineup included a mix of local Chemnitz bands and was headlined by one of Germany's most famous punk bands.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/J. Meyer
A response to the far-right
The concert came after days of far-right anti-migrant protests took hold of the eastern German city following the death of a 35-year-old German man. Daniel H. was stabbed to death in the early hours of Agust 25, allegedly by a Syrian and an Iraqi national.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Woitas
'Love instead of hate'
Punters waved colorful signs with messages of welcome and love as they walked into the concert. The show opened with a minute of silence in honor of Daniel H., while volunteers collected donations to be split between the victim's family and anti-racism initiatives in Chemnitz.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Macdougall
'You're not alone'
The line-up catered for what was a mostly young crowd, with acts including punk act Feine Sahne Fischfilet, rappers Trettman and Marteria & Casper, and indie rockers Kraftklub. "We're not naive. We're not laboring under the illusion that you hold a concert and the world is saved," said Kraftklub singer Felix Brummer. But it's "important to show that you're not alone," he added.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Willnow
Campino in Chemnitz
One of Germany's most famous punk bands, Die Toten Hosen, headlined the show. "This is not about the fight between right and left, it's about basic decency," said lead singer Campino. "And it is very important to stop this conduct while it is a snowball and before it becomes an avalanche," he added.
