Father charged for deaths of six teenagers poisoned in his garden hut

Seven months after six teenagers were found dead in a garden shed in north Bavaria, the father of two of the youths has been charged with negligent homicide.

Published: 1 September 2017 17:13 CEST

Father charged for deaths of six teenagers poisoned in his garden hut

A police officer at the site of the deaths in Arnstein. Photo: DPA

Prosecutors said on Friday that they were charging the 52-year-old man on six counts of negligent homicide after he failed to pay attention to the instructions provided by the manufacturer of his petrol-powered generator.

The six youths, aged between 18 and 19, spent the night in the man's garden hut in Arnstein, Bavaria, in January, where they had planned to have a party and before sleeping in one of the rooms. But the father had installed the generator in an adjacent room, against the instructions provided by the manufacturer.

Police believe that odourless carbon monoxide seeped from the machine into the rest of the hut, causing the youths to fall into unconsciousness and die.

The father found their bodies the next morning after growing worried about their whereabouts.

If found guilty he will face a fine or up to five years in jail.