25 years for murder of German tourist near Kruger National Park
A man in South Africa has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the murder of a tourist from Fulda. He shot the man from Hesse in 2022. The sentence was announced one year after the verdict.
The man from Hesse traveled to South Africa with his wife for a safari in the fall of 2022. The couple, along with two other Germans, were on their way to a lodge in the famous Kruger National Park. But shortly before the park entrance, they were attacked.
The vacationers were ordered to get out of their vehicle, but they refused and instead locked the doors. Shots were fired, and the 67-year-old was fatally shot
Sentence announced one year after the verdict
The proceedings had dragged on due to bureaucratic complications and slow police work: Judge Brian Mashile only announced the sentence almost a year after the verdict in the district court of the small town of Kabokweni, near Kruger Park.
Originally, three men were charged with murder, attempted murder, illegal possession of weapons and ammunition, robbery, and attempted robbery. Two of them were acquitted in mid-November due to procedural errors by the police and a lack of evidence. The remaining defendant pleaded not guilty during the trial.
Tourist paradise with high crime rate
The trial once again highlighted violent crime in South Africa, one of Africa’s most popular tourist destinations.
Beaches, the famous Garden Route, and the wildlife in the national parks are one beautiful aspect of the country; high crime rates are another.
In 2024, South African police recorded 26,232 intentional killings in the country with a population of around 65 million—about 72 per day.
