A 22-year-old Moroccan migrant, Aboubaker B., has been convicted of grievous bodily harm after stabbing a Tunisian migrant in his stomach and chest multiple times during a pre-arranged fist fight in Zwickau. However, Aboubaker B. faced a far lower sentence than expected after the judge determined that since the man stopped stabbing his victim at some point, the act did not amount to attempted murder.
The incident began as a physical fight on Oct. 26, 2025, at Schuhmannplatz when Aboubaker B. agreed with the Tunisian to meet for a fist fight. However, the incident ended in a life-threatening stabbing, with Aboubaker B. stabbing his victim multiple times once he fell on the ground, according to Tag24 outlet.
The incident escalated from a fistfight into a brutal attack when Aboubaker B. drew a knife on his 25-year-old opponent after the man had fallen. According to the indictment, he stabbed the victim “multiple times into the chest and abdominal cavity.” The court noted that “the injured party was seriously injured as a result,” requiring immediate surgery and leaving the victim with lasting physical consequences.
Predictably, the prosecutors charged Aboubaker B. with attempted murder due to the severity of the crime. However, despite the serious injuries the judge dropped the attempted murder charge, stating that “according to the testimony of the witnesses examined, the defendant voluntarily stopped stabbing him further, even though he could have easily done so – up to and including killing him.”
The judge argued that because the defendant chose to cease the attack of his own accord, he became eligible for a conviction on the lesser charge of grievous bodily harm.
With the lesser charge in place, the prosecution pushed for a sentence of three years and six months, and the defense argued for two years and six months. Judge Jörg Burmeister ultimately settled on a three-year prison term.
Several factors influenced the judge’s final sentencing. The defendant offered a full apology to the victim and admitted to the crime in court, allegedly showing significant remorse.
Furthermore, the court highlighted that “the defendant had no criminal record” prior to this incident.
However, the Zwickau Regional Court had to weigh these mitigating factors against the fact that the 25-year-old victim still suffers from the physical effects of the assault today. Aboubaker B. remains in pre-trial detention as the judgment is not yet final.
The case has some parallels with a case from last year, in which SPD Mayor Iris Stalzer was stabbed and tortured by her 17-year-old adopted daughter Zoe for hours inside their house. The case made national headlines, including for the prosecutor’s initial decision to not even pursue an arrest. Not only was the daughter not charged with attempted murder, but she was not even charged with bodily harm, despite nearly killing her mother. The argument was that although she could have killed Stalzer, she did not do so. Eventually, weeks after the incident, she was arrested and charged with grievous bodily harm.
