Overview

• The Amtsgericht Hamburg found the 39-year-old instructor guilty over the 2023 Niendorf incident in which a five-year-old died after a beginner swimming lesson.
• The presiding judge said the course leader violated multiple duties of care during the session.
• The sentence is 10 months in prison, suspended on probation rather than immediate custody.
• Prosecutors argued the death could have been prevented by sending other children out of the pool or promptly checking the group’s completeness.
• Evidence stated the child was underwater for at least three minutes before being found, and in court the father spoke emotionally as the instructor expressed deep regret.