Overview
- Amtsgericht Korbach concluded the 22-year-old’s infection was connected to a March 2022 tattoo done in the defendant’s apartment but found the exact transmission route untraceable.
- RKI testimony reported near-identical bacterial genomes in samples from the victim and the defendant, yet the court held that multiple plausible pathways left causation unproven.
- Prosecutors had sought a nine-month suspended sentence and a €2,000 fine, while the victim’s representative requested compensation for the mother; the court rejected the adhesion claims.
- The judge cited the plausibility of airborne transmission and noted that mask use is not mandated for tattooing, so the alleged hygiene lapses did not meet the legal standard for negligent homicide.
- The acquittal is not final, and prosecutors as well as the Nebenklage may still pursue legal remedies.