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District Court Erfurt (archive picture)
Photo: Martin Schutt / dpa
A man racially insults another passenger in an Erfurt tram.
He spits at him and kicks the young person in the head several times, snatches his cell phone from him and hurls it on the floor.
The video, which shows these pictures and which went from Erfurt via social media through the republic last April, was now the focus of the process at the start of the process.
The video clearly shows that the attack in the tram was "clearly misanthropic," said the presiding judge in the Erfurt regional court.
There the 41-year-old defendant has to answer for dangerous bodily harm and insult, among other things.
At the end of April, he is said to have hit and kicked a then 17-year-old from Syria repeatedly in the face and racially insulted him, as accused by the public prosecutor.
In addition, the German is said to have destroyed the young person's cell phone and forced the tram driver to continue.
Dangerous bodily harm can be punished with a prison sentence of between six months and ten years.
Victim stays away from the process for the time being
While the videos from the tram were being shown, a tense murmur went through the hall, which was filled with spectators and media representatives.
The accused remained motionless.
"After I've seen the video, I'm embarrassed too," he had had his lawyer read out beforehand.
Due to the large number of evidence and witnesses as well as the admission of the defendant, the trial will be less about the allegation itself than about the sentence.
For this purpose, witnesses from the tram will be heard on the second day of the trial on Friday.
The now 18-year-old who was exposed to the attack should also be questioned.
He stayed away from the trial on Thursday.
The co-prosecution proposed that the charge be broadened to include attempted murder for base motives.
With the repeated "massive" kicks in the head of the injured party, he accepted death.
It remained open at first whether the notice would be taken up.
For the process, three more negotiation dates are initially planned until Tuesday.
(Ref. 3 KLs 501 Js 13526/21 jug)
ptz / dpa
