A young American woman in Germany has been convicted of manslaughter following the fatal stabbing of a 64-year-old Eritrean migrant who sexually harassed her at Kaiserslautern Central Station.
The incident, which took place in June of last year, concluded with a sentence handed down by the Kaiserslautern Regional Court on Wednesday after the court dismissed her claims of proportionate self-defense.
The defendant, identified as Fallyn B., received a two-year youth sentence, suspended on probation. She must complete 500 hours of community service and attend counseling sessions focusing on drug abuse prevention. Her lawyer confirmed that no appeal would be filed.
Surveillance footage and witness testimony revealed that Alem T., the victim, sexually assaulted the defendant by grabbing her buttocks on an escalator. Following an initial defensive struggle in the station underpass, the confrontation escalated.
Amid the subsequent struggle, the young woman, then aged 20, took out a pocket knife and stabbed the Eritrean national once in the chest, striking his heart. The man immediately collapsed and died at the scene.
The defendant fled the scene by train, later texting an acquaintance: “I think I just killed someone.” She subsequently turned herself in to police and was briefly held in custody.
“She was terrified. My client only intended to make him let her go,” the defendant’s counsel told the court during the trial.
The court determined that the young woman’s actions exceeded legitimate self-defense, explicitly noting that while she initially defended herself, she subsequently “became an attacker” by actively engaging the victim. This deliberate shift led to her conviction for manslaughter under juvenile criminal law, given her age at the time of the incident.
Information also surfaced about the victim’s history of similar sexual harassment incidents. Despite acknowledging the problematic nature of his past behavior, the court emphasized that the defendant’s reaction was disproportionate.
Initially charged by prosecutors with bodily injury resulting in death, the court aligned more closely with the position of the joint plaintiffs, who argued for manslaughter. The prosecution had sought a lesser suspended sentence of one year and nine months.
“The initial groping was a criminal act,” said a spokesperson for the prosecution, “but the fatal outcome cannot be justified. This was not a proportional response.”
The court agreed, noting in its judgment, “If you are no longer in a self-defense situation, you become an attacker yourself.”
Throughout the proceedings, Fallyn B. discussed her personal struggles with mental health issues, including ADHD, bullying, and substance abuse. At the time of the incident, she resided near the Ramstein U.S. Air Base and had no prior criminal record.
The verdict is currently subject to appeal, though the defense has indicated no intention to contest it.
