Almost an acquittal:

Judge fines Boateng €300,000

Boateng at the sentencing in Munich

(Bild: AFP/MICHAELA STACHE)

This guilty verdict is almost like an acquittal. Judge Susanne Hemmerich closed the proceedings against Jerome Boateng with the words "that settles the matter after six years". This was followed by an arguably "Solomonic verdict". The LASK star received a warning, but must donate €100,000 

Munich, Nymphenburger Straße 16, District Court, Room 101: where the corruption trial against ex-Formula 1 zampano Bernie Ecclestone was discontinued in 2014 in exchange for a payment of 100 million dollars, the verdict in the Sudel trial involving Jerime Voateng was interesting for many reasons:

Boateng at the sentencing in Munich

(Bild: AFP/MICHAELA STACHE)

Although the LASK star was expressly convicted of intentional rather than negligent bodily harm, he was still "only" given a warning. In the form of 40 daily rates of 5,000 euros each - and thus a total of 200,000 euros. However, these are only to be paid if the 35-year-old violates the probation period within one year. In addition, Boateng must donate 2 x 50,000 euros to a youth facility and a children's hospital!

"Victory" for Boateng and LASK

And this despite the fact that he was convicted twice in the 2018 violence case involving grievous bodily harm against Sherin S., the mother of Boateng's twins _ even though both verdicts never became legally binding.

Probably the most important thing for the player and LASK, however, was that the judge even emphasized twice in her almost one-hour verdict that "Mr. Boateng is not a wife-beater".

• In 2021, the scandalous professional, who was still under contract with FC Bayern at the time, was sentenced to 60 daily fines of 30,000 euros each. However, the 1.8 million euro fine never became legally binding.
• The same applied to the 120 daily fines of 10,000 euros each imposed in 2022 (Boateng was under contract with Lyon at the time). The entire process had to be reopened due to a formal error.

But how does it fit that Boateng was only "cautioned" in the third trial? The judge also justified this several times - namely with the long duration of the proceedings. The dispute that led to the trials had started during a vacation in the Caribbean in 2018, exactly six years before the most recent verdict.

Many allegations lack credibility

Many of the statements made by co-plaintiff Sherin S. and witnesses also proved to be difficult to understand or completely false. Which is why Boateng's spokesperson even accused the mother of Boateng's children of "character assassination".

However, even Boateng's claims did not always appear comprehensible to the experienced judge. She considered it proven that the footballer had hit Sherin S. in the face with his fist, the edge of his hand or the ball of his hand during the outburst associated with the dispute. . . 

This meant that the player could not be acquitted as demanded by the public prosecutor. Nevertheless, the court ruling feels too good, especially as the public prosecutor's office had again demanded a fine of millions for Boateng. Exactly 160 daily rates of 7000 euros! They now have one week to appeal against the verdict . . . But yesterday it leaked out. It is more than questionable whether she will appeal. This is also justified by the fact that the proceedings have already lasted more than six years.