An Eritrean man has been sentenced to life in prison for a brutal knife attack that killed a 14-year-old girl and injured her 13-year-old friend in Illerkirchberg, Germany, last December. The 27-year-old asylum seeker was convicted of murder and attempted murder with dangerous bodily injury by a regional court in Ulm, Bavaria.
The attack occurred as the girls walked to school, shocking and angering the nation. The younger girl managed to escape the assault. The court's ruling includes a declaration of "special gravity of the guilt," making it highly unlikely the perpetrator will be eligible for early release after the standard 15 years typically associated with life sentences in Germany.
A court official, left, removes the handcuffs from the defendant, who is covering his face with a file folder, in the hearing room of the Regional Court in Ulm, Germany, on July 4, 2023. (Stefan Puchner/dpa via AP)
