Hussein Khavari (left) jailed for life for rape and murder of Maria Ladenburger, 19 (right)
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
March 22, 2018
An asylum seeker who claims to be from Afghanistan was sentenced by a German court on March 22 to life in prison for the rape and murder of a woman.
Hussein Khavari, who arrived in Germany without identification in 2015, had admitted to attacking 19-year-old Maria Ladenburger in the southwestern city of Freiburg in October 2016.
Prosecutors said Khavari pushed the woman off her bicycle, then bit, choked, and raped her. She was left alive on the bank of a river, where she subsequently drowned.
Khavari was arrested seven weeks later after a manhunt.
Khavari had previously received a 10-year sentence for attempted murder in Greece, only to be freed in 2015 because of overcrowded prisons.
German authorities have not been able to confirm Khavari’s age and nation of origin. He originally claimed to be a teenager, but after examining dental records and X-rays, experts said they believe him to be 22 to 29 years old.
The case triggered protests in Germany against Chancellor Angela Merkel’s immigration policies.
Under German law, a life sentence means 15 years in prison with no chance of parole and the possibility of “security detention” after release.
Based on reporting by AFP and the BBC