Manfred Genditzki, a man who was wrongfully convicted of murder in 2010, has finally been freed after spending 13 years in prison. But instead of receiving just compensation and an apology, he was handed an unexpected bill worth €100,000 ($104,000), sparking outrage and disbelief.
Back in 2010, Genditzki, who worked as a caretaker, was accused of killing an elderly woman in Bavaria, Germany. Authorities said he drowned her in a bathtub after a disagreement. Genditzki always said he was innocent, and after years of fighting in court, a retrial in 2023 finally cleared him of the crime. It turned out that the woman’s death was likely an accident, not a murder.
After being released, Genditzki received compensation for his wrongful imprisonment—€75 for each day he was locked up, totaling about €368,700. But he wasn’t satisfied. Genditzki felt that the damage to his life went beyond just lost time, so he filed a claim asking for an additional €750,000 to cover lost income and the emotional toll of spending over a decade behind bars.
What happened next shocked everyone: the Munich public prosecutor’s office sent him a bill for €100,000. This bill wasn’t for any crime he committed but for costs related to his time in prison. The state demanded Genditzki pay back money for things like his meals, accommodation, and wages earned from working in prison.
According to the authorities, it’s normal to deduct these amounts from compensation payments in Germany. However, Genditzki’s legal team says that this is deeply unfair, especially since he was never guilty in the first place.
The decision has caused an uproar. Many people feel that billing an innocent man for his time in prison is an insult and adds to the injustice he already suffered. Human rights organizations are speaking out, saying that this practice needs to be stopped.
Even former Justice Minister Marco Buschmann had suggested getting rid of this law, but his proposal didn’t go anywhere after the government collapsed in November.
Now, Genditzki is left fighting not only for the compensation he deserves but also for justice in a system that some argue doesn’t protect the innocent as it should.
