Three years in prison for biker trap

In the Upper Palatinate (Germany) in spring 2018, a 22-year-old man stretched a nylon rope across a path to bring down cyclists. He "succeeded", but was subsequently caught. Now he has to spend over three years behind bars. The court judged the act to be as senseless as one could hardly imagine.

Under the influence of alcohol, the 22-year-old stretched a thin, black nylon rope across a path in May with the intention of causing cyclists to fall. A 54-year-old cyclist fell victim to the act, riding unbraked into the rope and sustaining serious injuries. The result: internal bleeding of the larynx, a fractured cervical vertebra, a head laceration and bruising. The man is still only able to work to a limited extent.

The sentence of three years and three months in prison could have been harsher. The public prosecutor's office had demanded five years for attempted murder. However, the court then granted the perpetrator reduced culpability because he had previously consumed alcohol. However, there was no provision for parole. The defense spoke of a "crazy idea".It is a fact that wires or ropes are repeatedly stretched across mountain bike routes in particular. The ruling by the regional court in Nuremberg could set a precedent for Germany and send a strong signal to everyone else that such actions should not be dismissed as a trivial matter.

Further information:
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/bayern/nuernberg-seilfalle-fuer-radfahrer-mehr-als-drei-jahre-haft-fuer-jaehrigen-1.3791266

https://www.ride.ch/de/news/drei-jahre-gefaengnis-wegen-biker-falle

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