An Eritrean asylum seeker was given a life sentence by a court in southern Germany for stabbing two teenage girls, one of whom died as a result.
In December, the girls were attacked in the town of Illerkirchberg by a man, 27, only known as Okba B.
Ece, a 14-year-old, died from 23 stab wounds, and her 13-year-old friend was seriously hurt.
He allegedly attacked them after they noticed his knife, which he was planning to use at a nearby immigration office.
They claimed he was upset because the government had refused to give him the passport he required to get married in Ethiopia.
Since his crime was deemed to be "particularly severe" by the jury, an early release after serving 15 years in prison is extremely unlikely.
The Eritrean immigrated to Germany in 2015, at a time of unusually high numbers of asylum seekers, many of whom were displaced people fleeing war and persecution.
The Ulmer court concluded that, prior to last November, he had successfully integrated into German society through employment, language proficiency, and a composed demeanor.
Okba B admitted his mistake and begged the families for forgiveness in front of the court.
The judgment is still subject to appeal. Prosecutors claim that if the case proceeds, he could be deported while serving a prison sentence.
The girls' families stated that they did not want the case to be used politically by anti-immigration groups, despite the fact that it caused great outrage in Germany. German-born girl from a Turkish-origin family passed away.
