Further tedious closing statement by counsel Sturm

Zschäpe defense counsel Sturm continued her closing statement today, but once more did not bring it to an end, announcing instead that she would wrap up tomorrow. After that, the court will also have to decide on the motions for evidence brought in the closing statement. Thus it will not be able to pronounce its judgment any earlier than the trial week of 3-5 July. 

Sturm tried once more to “evaluate” the evidence in order to show that Zschäpe was not an equal member of the NSU, but rather a friendly neighbor who loved kids and who more or less accidentally lived together with two men who happened to be murderers. Sturm frequently criticized the prosecution’s evaluation of the evidence, while at the same time massaging the facts at every opportunity.

Towards the end, Sturm quoted Confucius as saying “he who makes a mistake and does not fix it will make another”, trying to apply it to the court and the prosecution. Of course, one might as well apply this saying to Zschäpe’s “old counsel”: those who make the mistake of taking up a defense without being able to deal with all of its dimensions, and who never realize this mistake, will also hold closing statements which are incapable of convincing any court in the world. 

And Confucius also says „If what you want to say is not more beautiful than silence, keep silent”.