Battle of the expert witnesses

Leon case: how the murder trial in Tyrol is to proceed

Leon (6) suffered from "syngap syndrome". He drowned in the Kitzbüheler Ache in Tyrol on August 28, 2022. The Innsbruck StA has now brought murder charges against his 39-year-old father.(Bild: ZOOM Tirol)

Leon's dad's lawyer has two weeks to object to the murder charges brought against him. If he fails to do so, the trial against the father of the six-year-old who drowned in the Kitzbühel Ache in August 2022 could start before the summer.

Eight jurors will decide on the complex case and the trial at Innsbruck Regional Court will take several trial days. For the accused Florian A. - for whom the presumption of innocence applies - everything is at stake: if convicted, the 39-year-old could face 10 to 20 years or life imprisonment. According to the indictment, he allegedly tried to fake a robbery in order to conceal his own crime.

Summons of 25 witnesses requested
The Innsbruck public prosecutor's office has requested the summoning of 25 witnesses and wants to hear four experts who will present their expert opinions from the fields of forensic medicine, neurology, psychiatry and data forensics.

Battle of the experts to be expected
A battle of the experts is to be expected, as the father's defense already criticized the investigations at the end of February and commissioned private expert opinions: "Our experts confirm that the forensics were so inadequate and amateurish that they cannot be used as evidence," said lawyer Albert Heiss at the time.