Supermarket owners are spared jail after boy, four, was ELECTROCUTED by faulty till as he helped his father pack the shopping in Germany
- The young victim, identified as Jonathan, was helping his father while shopping
- The accident happened at the Adese Supermarket in Hamburg, Germany
- After the boy’s death, a woman allegedly said she also got a shock from the till
Two supermarket owners have avoided jail after a four-year-old boy was electrocuted by a faulty till.
The young victim, identified by his first name Jonathan, was helping his father while shopping at the Adese Supermarket in Hamburg, Germany, when the incident happened.
As they were standing in the checkout queue, the boy collapsed.
The 44-year-old supermarket co-owner pictured in court during the case relating to the death of a four-year-old boy
The other shop owner, a 48-year-old woman, attends the courtroom in Hamburg, Germany
The distraught father told police that the boy helped him put the shopping on the belt and the minute after he was being told that he was dead.
A police investigation confirmed that Jonathan died from an electric shock at the check out.
The boy’s father said: ‘Suddenly, he was clinging to the opened cash register.
The entrance of the Adese Supermarket in Hamburg, Germany, where the accident took place in May 2016
As Jonathan was helping his father while shopping at the supermarket, he got an electrical shock due to a faulty till and died
According to reports, work carried on the till had left electrical wiring in contact with some metal parts, which gave Jonathan an electrical shock when he accidentally touched it
‘His eyes were wide open, he did not utter a sound.
‘I tried to grab my son, but I also got a strong shock.’
Reports said work carried on the till had left electrical wiring in contact with some metal parts which electrocuted the boy when he touched it.
The supermarket owners, a 48-year-old woman and her 44-year-old brother, were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter through negligence by a court in Hamburg.
Relatives put flowers, candles and a crucifix at the entrance of the court building to commemorate the old victim who was electrocuted by a faulty till in a German supermarket
They received a suspended sentence of 10 months and walked out of the court free.
The prosecutor requested a probation period of one year, while the defendant’s lawyer called for a full acquittal.
According to the judge, the Turkish-German siblings violated monitoring and inspection duties which led to the death of the boy on May 31, 2016.
After Jonathan’s death, a woman came forward to say she had got an electric shock from the till as well.
The judge said that ‘no judgment or punishment could ease the parent’s pain’.
Jonathan’s aunt Makbule B, pictured, said that for her it is important that such a thing will never happen again
Jonathan’s father attended the courtroom during the case, while their lawyer said the boy’s mother did not attend as it was too stressful for her.
The young victim’s aunt Makbule B. said: ‘For me it is important that such a thing would never happen again.’
It is unclear if the family plan to appeal the ruling.