It was supposed to be a day of high jumps and fun – and it ended in tragedy. Laila P.* (†13) went to Belp BE with a friend on February 9, 2020. The girls wanted to let off steam there in the Bouncelab trampoline hall. It happened there: The 13-year-old had an accident after a pike roll on a green mat. From this mat she fell onto a fall protection mat, where she hit the edge of the mat with her buttocks. The back of his head hit the carpet. The girl died in hospital a few days after the accident.
In all likelihood, the fatal fall will not have any criminal consequences for the operator. The public prosecutor’s office in Bern-Mittelland has dropped the criminal proceedings against him and the Bern High Court supports this decision.
It rejected an appeal by the parents of the child who had an accident against the discontinuation of the proceedings. This emerges from a judgment published this week on the website of the Bern judiciary. This judgment is not yet final and can be appealed to the Federal Supreme Court.
charge of involuntary manslaughter
For the Supreme Court, the public prosecutor’s office adequately justified their order to discontinue and included evidence – where relevant – in the assessment. The safety precautions in the hall would have corresponded to the standards and specifications. The operator of the hall cannot be accused of a breach of the duty of care. The criminal proceedings concerned the charge of negligent homicide.
Shortly after the news of the death, the operators of the Belper Halle held a media conference and said at the time that from their point of view it was a tragic accident. An analysis of the processes shows that no one can be accused of misconduct. Marcel Meier, the managing director of the trampoline hall, was visibly dismayed and moved at the media conference. His voice cracked and he fought back tears.
Trampoline operator cries: “The girl hit the ground after somersaulting”(01:44)
Laila was a lively, positive girl, everyone immediately took her to heart, her sister said to Blick at the time. Of the three sisters, the youngest did the most sports. “She often went trampoline jumping in Bern. But she was in the hall in Belp for the first time on Sunday. » The sudden death hit the family hard. Laila’s bed, Laila’s clothes – but no Laila. But they firmly believe: “She looks down from up there and protects us.”