The sensational fall of a two-year-old boy from a pier on Usedom more than three years ago will be heard by the Stralsund district court from Monday. As part of a civil case, the then 34-year-old mother from the Barnim district in Brandenburg is demanding at least 35,000 euros in damages from the municipality of Zinnowitz. She jumped after him and seriously injured her left leg in particular. The boy was unharmed.
Contradictory accounts
On the evening of July 22, 2021, the woman entered the front area of ​​the pier with her two sons – the older one was ten years old at the time – according to the court. Apparently she wanted to take a vacation photo. According to the court, the mother says that the little boy was standing next to his brother, crouched down, lost his balance and slipped through the railing. She contradicts reports that the toddler was placed on the parapet for the photo.
The mother jumped after him and suffered several fractures, including her left ankle. The bridge runs about five meters above the water in that area. According to police reports at the time, the water there was not very deep. The mother and the boy were rescued by rescuers and taken to a hospital.
Mother sees community as responsible
According to the court, the mother claims that the pier is not safe and that the railing should have been built differently. The sum claimed is at least 35,000 euros. The woman is also claiming additional costs of more than 2,000 euros, for example for co-payments for medication, orthopedic aids and a household helper. The woman also wants to ensure that she receives additional money in case her condition worsens in the future.
According to the court, the municipality says that the pier is fine. The mother is partly to blame because she should have been more careful. She would also not have been injured so badly if she had first climbed over the railing, then hung down and finally let herself fall instead of jumping straight away.
According to the court, a judicial decision will probably be announced at a later date – as is usual in civil proceedings.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240907-930-225733/1
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