Trial over German Love Parade tragedy might end without verdict: lawyers

Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-17 03:27:44|Editor: yan
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BERLIN, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- The trial against city officials and employees of the responsible event organizer of the Love Parade in Germany could end without a verdict, lawyers revealed following a non-public conversation at the regional court of Duisburg on Wednesday.

In July 2010, a total of 21 people, aged between 17 and 38, had died and at least 652 were injured when a mass panic broke out at the popular techno music festival in Germany, which has since been discontinued.

The defense is seeking to close the trial without imposing any financial penalties while the public prosecutor's office appears to favor pressing charges against the defendants. An agreement of both sides would be necessary to close the trial.

"We know how difficult it is to determine and punish the criminal responsibility of an individual," Julius Reiter, a lawyer who represents a total of around 80 victims of the tragic disaster, commented.

In the case of the Love Parade, six Duisburg city officials and four employees of the event-organizer Lopavent are charged with counts of involuntary manslaughter as well as causing bodily harm through negligence.

Gerd-Ulrich Kapteina, the defense lawyer, said that the accusations against his clients had not been proven during the trial.

According to a speaker of the Duisburg regional court, 56 legal experts participated in the nonpublic conversation, including judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers and victim lawyers. The regional court will not announce the results of this nonpublic meeting until Thursday afternoon.

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