Mistakenly jailed male charged EUR100,000 for ‘room and board’

(MENAFN) Manfred Genditzki, a German man exonerated after spending 13 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, has been handed a €100,000 bill for his incarceration, sparking public outrage. Genditzki was convicted in 2010 for the murder of an elderly woman in Bavaria, a crime he consistently denied committing. In 2023, after a retrial, he was acquitted when it was determined the woman’s death was likely accidental.

Upon his release, Genditzki received compensation of €75 per day for wrongful imprisonment, totaling around €368,700. He also filed a claim for additional reparations, seeking €750,000 for lost earnings and the personal toll of his wrongful conviction. However, the Munich prosecutor’s office issued him a bill for €100,000, covering accommodation, meals, and earnings from prison labor, which they argue is a legal practice in Germany.

Genditzki’s legal team is challenging the bill, arguing it is unjust to charge someone for wrongful imprisonment. The decision has sparked a wider debate over the fairness of such policies, with advocacy groups calling attention to the systemic flaws in the justice system.

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