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After spending 13 years behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit, Manfred Genditzki, a German man wrongfully convicted of murder, is now facing a shocking €100,000 bill for "bed and board" during his time in prison. Genditzki, who was convicted by a Munich court in 2010 for the murder of an elderly woman, spent over a decade in jail before being exonerated.
Genditzki’s battle for justice began in 2010 when he was accused of drowning the elderly woman in her bathtub after an argument. The case, dubbed the "bathtub murder" by the media, led to a life sentence. However, after years of legal struggles, a retrial in 2023 revealed crucial new information. Experts discovered that the woman's time of death occurred much later than initially believed, making it clear that Genditzki was innocent and that her death was likely accidental.
Despite his exoneration, Genditzki is now being told by the Munich public prosecutor’s office that he owes €100,000 for the costs of his prison accommodation and meals. The prosecution claims that the money covers the savings Genditzki made from "bed and board" while in custody and the earnings he received from his prison job.
This bill comes as a response to Genditzki’s ongoing compensation claim against the state of Bavaria. Genditzki is seeking €750,000 in damages for the wrongful imprisonment that cost him over a decade of his life and destroyed his career. While he was initially awarded €368,700 for the time he spent behind bars, the new bill, which includes €50,442 for meals and accommodation and €48,979 for his prison earnings, has added fuel to the fire.
Genditzki and his lawyer have expressed outrage at the counterclaim, though the practice of offsetting damages is reportedly common and legal in Germany. Judge Simon Pschorr has defended the procedure as “common, customary and legal.” Although there were efforts by former Justice Minister Marco Buschmann to abolish this practice, they were halted by political changes in November 2023.
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