Germany to deport killer of Turkish hero

A German appeals court has ruled for the deportation of Sanel M., a man of Serbian origin accused of the 2014 murder of Tuğçe Albayrak, a Turkish woman who courageously tried to intervene when she saw a man harassing a group of young girls in a restaurant.

While other patrons remained silent, Albayrak was hailed as a hero for her intervention in the harassment at a fast food restaurant in Germany's Offenbach. The 22-year-old woman was killed when the defendant punched her in a parking lot outside the restaurant, injuring her head when she hit the ground. One year later, Sanel M. was convicted of causing bodily harm resulting in death and was sentenced to three years in prison because he was underage at the time of the incident.

The defendant has appealed to a lower court's verdict for his deportation to Serbia, but the Kassel state administrative court upheld the ruling, citing that the defendant posed a security threat. The young woman became a symbol of courage following her death with thousands attending vigils dedicated to Albayrak. Then German President Joachim Gauck hailed her "exemplary bravery and civil courage" in helping a victim of violence.