Büren (dpa / lnw) – Nine months after a seven-year-old boy in Büren (Paderborn district) was killed by a stone cross on the side of the road, the public prosecutor’s office is demanding a fine for a route controller. The prosecution in Paderborn announced on Tuesday that a penalty order had been applied for against the employee of the state road construction company in North Rhine-Westphalia for negligent homicide with a fine of 2400 euros. The “Neue Westfälische” had previously reported on it.
On November 11, 2021, the boy played with a friend on the sandstone memorial cross, which was almost 90 centimeters high and stood on a concrete pedestal on an embankment next to a country road. The cross broke from the base and fell on the little boy, fatally injuring him. According to an expert opinion, the dowelling of the cross to the substructure had not been carried out professionally.
As the public prosecutor announced on Tuesday, Straßenbau NRW and the accused employee were responsible for checking the stability. The prosecution said the boy’s death could have been prevented if a so-called “vibration test” had been duly carried out. The District Court of Paderborn will now decide whether the penalty order will be issued. If so, the accused can appeal – then the case would be heard in court. Otherwise the penalty becomes final.
Investigations against another man were discontinued due to a lack of evidence. It has therefore not been proven that he had actually taken care of the cross in recent years and was therefore jointly responsible for the stability.
