Complex case
Student died on school trip – trial against teachers
Emily, who suffered from diabetes, died at the age of 13 on a school trip to London. Now two teachers have to answer before the Mönchengladbach regional court on suspicion of negligent homicide. photo
© Ann-Marie Utz/dpa
The Emily case has filled the judicial files for over four years. Now there is a trial against two teachers. They had accompanied the study trip on which the diabetic student died.
As of today, two teachers have to appear before the regional court on suspicion of negligent homicide Mönchengladbach is responsible. In June 2019, the educators accompanied a school trip to London, during which a 13-year-old student suffering from diabetes died.
The prosecution accuses the 34 and 60 year old women of not specifically asking about the previous illnesses of the participating students before the trip. But the student and her relatives had not informed them about the diabetes in connection with the study trip, so the defendants knew nothing about it.
According to the investigation, the student neglected to take the necessary blood sugar measurements and administer insulin on the trip, which led to her condition steadily deteriorating. Emily was taken to hospital in London on the day the group of students left, where she died a day later.
The complex case has been preoccupying the judiciary for a long time. The child’s father had asked the Mönchengladbach public prosecutor’s office to reopen the investigation. When the regional court refused to open the main proceedings, the man successfully took action against it. 22 witnesses are to be heard on the 14 planned trial days. These include students, teachers, parents and experts.