Two officials at the German court where a man fatally stabbed a pregnant Egyptian woman are facing a routine investigation for manslaughter after the victim's husband filed a complaint, a Dresden prosecutor said Saturday.
The investigation was opened several weeks ago against court president Gerd Halfar and judge Tom Maciejewski, who was in charge when Alexander Wiens stabbed Marwa al-Sherbini to death at a July 1 hearing, prosecutor Christian Avenarius said. The killing caused outrage in the Muslim world.
Wiens was convicted Wednesday and given the maximum sentence of life in prison. He has appealed.
In addition to murder, Wiens was convicted of attempted murder for his attack on al-Sherbini's husband, Elwy Okaz.
Avenarius said the investigation was opened because Heiko Lesch, Okaz's lawyer, had pressed criminal charges against the judge and president for neglecting security at the court on the day of the attack.
Many German courts, including the one where the killing took place, have no security checks at their entrance.
Avenarius stressed that the justice ministry is in charge of providing security in court buildings.
