Upper court of ZH acquits father of totem baby – TOP ONLINE
On Wednesday, the High Court of the Canton of Zurich acquitted a 46-year-old man who is accused of shaking his baby to death in the summer of 2019. The perpetrator of the man can not be proven beyond a doubt.
With its judgment, the High Court confirmed the acquittal of the district court in Hinwil ZH, which had acquitted the Swiss in June 2021 due to a lack of evidence. The prosecutor appealed the verdict. The Supreme Court’s decision is not yet final. It can be appealed to federal court.
The prosecutor had demanded a conviction, among other things, for intentional homicide and bodily harm and a prison sentence of ten years. Based on all the evidence, there is no reasonable doubt about the man’s guilt.
The defense pleaded for acquittal and demanded compensation from her applicant for the investigation of his detention of around one and a half years. The prosecutor saw the suspect as the perpetrator from the start, she said.
The medical reports did not show that the baby died from concussion in the first place, the defense attorney said. The concerns could also possibly have reasons other than violence. For example, it was not clarified whether the fact that the child was extremely early played a role.
The eight-month-old boy died at the end of July 2019 in the Zurich Children’s Hospital. The baby had been brought in a few days earlier with severe brain injuries. In addition, various older fractures were found.