Würzburg murder trial replaces lay judge amid bias objections

The Landgericht Würzburg has replaced a lay judge (Schöffin) in the ongoing murder trial of 13‑year‑old Sabine, who was killed on 15 December 1993 at a riding farm in Wiesenfeld, Main‑Spessart. The court accepted the defence’s request to dismiss the original lay judge and appointed the substitute who has been present since the start of the main hearing. The trial, which is being held behind closed doors because the defendant was 17 at the time of the offence, is scheduled to continue on 6 August.

The defence’s bias claim against two members of the judging panel was rejected. The accused, now 49, had previously received a six‑and‑a‑half‑year youth‑court sentence, which the Federal Court of Justice overturned in December 2024, prompting a retrial. The court spokesperson also noted that a close relative of the former lay judge had previously attempted to influence the case, though details were not disclosed.