The 31-year-old is standing trial for murder after allegedly attacking two women near Germany's famed Neuschwanstein castle, one of the country's most visited sites.
The trial of a US man accused of murder and rape near Germany's famed Neuschwanstein Castle began on Monday.
The 31-year-old is alleged to have pushed two fellow US tourists into a ravine close to the popular tourist attraction in the southern state of Bavaria last June. One of the women died as a result of her injuries.
What we know about the attack
The women, aged 21 and 22, had been hiking on June 14, 2023, during a visit to Germany following graduation from university.
Having approached and then persuaded the women to follow him down a trail to a lookout point near the Marienbrücke bridge, the man allegedly shoved the younger woman to the ground and proceeded to undress her. When the 22-year-old woman intervened, he is said to have pushed her down a slope.
German prosecutors suspect the man then strangled the younger woman until she was unconscious before raping her and also throwing her down the slope.
The 22-year-old suffered serious injuries but survived. The younger woman was air-lifted to hospital by mountain rescue but later died from her injuries.
The man is charged with murder, rape resulting in death, attempted murder, grievous bodily harm and possession of child pornography, after files were allegedly found on his phone and computer.
The trial is taking place over six days at a district court in the town of Kempten. A verdict is expected in mid-March.
Neuschwanstein castle is one of the most most popular tourist sites in Germany, attracting around 1.5 million visitors a year.
Source: Dw
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