A 24-year-old former student who stabbed an FCZ fan twice in the back at the Sihlcity shopping center in June 2020 has been found guilty of attempted murder. He and three FCZ fans present at the incident were acquitted of the charge of scuffle.
The incident happened in the Sihlcity shopping center in Zurich.
The interlinked trials against a total of six accused young men took place at the Zurich District Court in June, partly before a collegiate court, partly before a single judge. The verdicts were opened on Wednesday.
A main accused 24-year-old former psychology and German studies student had on a Saturday in June 2020 at the Sihlcity shopping center in Zurich – one month after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis by police violence – a group of FCZ fans with a “White Lives Matter T-Shirt Provoked. After an argument, he injured an opponent with five stab wounds, two of which were in the back and were life-threatening.
The Zurich District Court has now sentenced him to five and a half years in prison, an enforceable fine of 150 daily rates of 30 francs each, a conditional fine of 20 daily rates and a fine of 600 francs for attempted murder and numerous other offences. The prosecutor had asked for a prison sentence of eight and a half years. The defense attorney wanted an acquittal for alleged self-defense. The accused must pay the victim compensation of 25,000 francs.
No self-defence
As the court chairman Sebastian Aeppli explains, the representations of the parties involved about the events on that Saturday, June 27th, are very different. However, there is an uninvolved, neutral witness whose testimony the court relied on. According to him, the student first provoked the group with the T-shirt. But then a 20-year-old FCZ fan bumped into the student, punched him, pushed him and pulled his T-shirt. He failed to knock the student over.
After that there was a “break in the fighting”, according to Aeppli, and the student was able to break away from the group. He then ran at the FCZ fan from behind and stabbed him twice in the back. It was only luck and coincidence that the seriously injured survived. An asserted self-defense situation did not exist. The FCZ fan’s attack had ended by the time the knife was stabbed.
It was created for the court that it was only a dispute between two parties. But at least three are needed for the criminal offense of brawl. Therefore, the student and all accused FCZ fans were acquitted of the charge of brawl. The actions of the 20-year-old are to be rated as assaults. But such were not charged. Therefore, a full acquittal was given for the victim of the knife attack, who was also accused.
Trees in parks damaged with machete
The student and his twin brother were also found guilty of damaging property because they felled a young beech tree in Belvoirpark with a machete and damaged a 200-year-old lime tree in Rieterpark. These actions were completely pointless. The accused apparently wanted to “make something for beer bottles” from the bark, according to Aeppli. Both brothers were also involved in drug crimes. The twin brother, who was not present at Sihlcity, is sentenced to a conditional prison sentence of 8 months, a conditional fine of 60 daily rates of CHF 150 and a fine of CHF 300 for his other investments.
The court also found the main suspect guilty of multiple public incitement to commit crimes or violence, multiple racial discrimination and driving without a permit. He is acquitted of multiple violations of religious and religious freedom. Before the bloody act, the student had been posting discriminatory and racist tweets on Twitter for weeks.
During the trial, the prosecutor and the knife victim’s attorney also characterized the accused as an admirer of gunmen. He also sympathizes with Trump and has repeatedly posed with the Hitler salute and Hitler mustache.
A sixth co-accused, who the prosecution accused of participation in the smuggling of the main perpetrator, was acquitted of the allegations of multiple theft of motor vehicles for use, driving without a license and drug consumption. The criminal offenses could either not be proven or are time-barred, justifies judge Christoph Lehner.
Finally, Lehner addresses the main suspect again. The judge says he read the student’s short stories. The student is definitely talented and certainly not stupid. He should use the time in prison for distance learning or a degree so that “he can get something clever out of this tricky situation” and have “something in hand” in terms of rehabilitation when he comes out again.
Judgments DG210211, DG210212, DG210213, DG210214, DG210215, DG210216 of July 20, 2022, not yet final.