Four Teenagers Sentenced for Murder of Ukrainian Basketball Players in Germany

The Essen court sentenced the youths to 8.5 to 10 years in prison for the February attack at Oberhausen bus station.

Two Ukrainian basketball players, aged 17 and 18, were fatally attacked by four teenagers at a bus station in Oberhausen on February 10, 2024.
The victims were surrounded, beaten, and stabbed in the back and stomach; one died the same day, while the second succumbed to organ failure ten days later.
The Essen court sentenced the attackers, aged 14 to 16 at the time, to 8.5 to 10 years of youth detention for double murder and other prior crimes.
The court ruled out a racist motive, stating the attackers sought to provoke conflict, despite initial speculation of xenophobic intent.
The victims' families, who traveled from Ukraine for the trial, expressed difficulty accepting the apologies offered by the convicted teenagers.