Please, come in.
Can I offer you something to drink?
Which newspaper did you say you work for?
Excuse me?
ls everything ok?
He's dead. PresidentiaI suite.
THE COLLlNI CASE
CounseIlor Caspar Leinen, good afternoon.
l'm Judge KoehIer, we spoke on the phone. This is State Prosecutor Reimers.
State prosecutor... - Good afternoon.
Leinen, good afternoon.
So...
The defendant is Fabrizio CoIlini, born in 1 934 in Montecatini near Pisa. ItaIian citizen.
He speaks German reasonabIy welI and has Iived in the Stuttgart area for over 30 years.
Not married.
He stands accused of kiIling Jean-Baptiste Meyer in the presidentiaI suite...
...of the HoteI CircIe with three shots to the head.
WouId you Iike to speak with your cIient before we begin?
Of course.
Alright then...
And you'lI both wait here?
We wiII.
See you in a minute.
Aha...
HelIo, my name's Leinen. l'm your attorney.
ShouId I inform anyone you're here?
Have you given a statement to the poIice?
Good...
You shouId refrain from making a statement untiI I see what evidence they have against you.
Alright, then Iet's get started, ok?
The defendant has not given a statement...
...but the physicaI evidence against him is compelIing: fingerprints on murder weapon...
...bIood on his cIothing and shoes, powder burns on his hands...
...as weII as testimony from witnesses.
Mr. CoIIini, do you understand the charges against you?
Mr. CoIIini?
The defendant does not wish to speak at this time.
Mr. CoIIini, I'm holding you for triaI.
GentIemen, any more business?
l'd like to fiIe a motion for discovery. - Noted.
And I fiIe to be assigned to the accused as his public defender.
Does the State object?
l hereby appoint Caspar Leinen as pubIic defender to Fabrizio CoIIini.
That's aII.
Alright, then...
Thank you, gentIemen.
Mr. Leinen...
How Iong is it since you passed the bar?
About three months.
Do me a favor and look around the room...
Do you see an audience?
No.
So why are you wearing your robes?
You wore your robes to the arraignment?
Are you Iosing it, or what?
Hey, look.
l thought he quit.
You know he saiIed across the AtIantic after his wife died?
SingIe-handed. He's back in the Iand of the Iiving now.
You had Mattinger, right? - Criminal Iaw.
l watched a trial where he cross-examined a witness for 57 days. 57 days!
The judge and the prosecutor were reaIly pissed!
But he didn't beIieve her.
And on day 58 she admitted that her husband hadn't blackmaiIed her.
She made it up, to get revenge.
Your murder trial sounds pretty hopeIess.
No triaI is hopeIess.
Anyway, you've a big job ahead.
You shouId buy new robes, so you'lI Iook good in the papers.
Yeah, Iet's not get carried away.
What? He kilIed Hans Meyer.
What?
lt was on the radio this morning.
The owner of MMF. Meyer Machine Fabrik?
Member of the Order of Merit of the FederaI RepubIic of Germany.
Are you okay?
l'II be right back.
Caspar, come on!
lt's me again, Caspar Leinen...
l have a question about Jean-Baptiste Meyer.
Hey! This is our Iake, you shitty Turk!
What did you say?
l've no idea where my grandson learned such a disgusting Iack of hospitaIity, I'm truIy sorry.
The victim in the case... lt's not the...
Hans Meyer, good afternoon.
l'm sorry, Caspar. l'm PhiIIip.
Radio FFM Berlin. And now, the news.
ln the investigation into the murder of MMF CEO Hans Meyer, the police are still in the dark.
According to a statement, Johanna Meyer, the granddaughter of the deceased...
...will take over management of Meyer Machine Fabrik.
ln the Berlin banking scandal there is still no resolution in sight.
lt's still unclear whether the state of Berlin...
You're stiIl driving that oId thing.
l'm so sorry. - Thanks.
Why wouId anyone murder my grandfather?
l spoke to him on the phone. Right before it happened.
He was moaning about how they were ruining Potsdamer Platz.
A testament to bIoodymindedness, cast in concrete, you know how he used to speak...
l mean, bIoodymindedness... ls that even a word?
lf he said it, it's a word.
ls your husband not here?
He stayed in London.
And you?
You must be a top attorney by now.
Not reaIly.
Hanna?
l took a case as public defender.
Okay.
ls that a good move for you?
l'm defending Hans's kiIler.
What?
l didn't choose the case.
l didn't even know it was him. His passport says Jean Baptist, not Hans.
You're not taking the case, of course.
l already took the case. lt's not that easy to get out of it.
But it's a confIict of interest!
We're not related.
Caspar, you can't defend someone Iike that.
Let's hope the Iast guy didn't order tomato soup.
lf he did, forget the next 1 0 cups. Mattinger.
Professor... l know, l had you in...
CriminaI Iaw.
l Iike to know about my opponent, Mr Leinen.
l'm representing the Meyer famiIy in the civil case against ColIini.
Tomato soup...
CongratuIations. lt's a fascinating case.
l fiIed a motion yesterday. l want to give up the case.
l grew up with the famiIy, Hans Meyer was Iike a father to me.
l didn't know that.
ExceIlent wording.
l take it this is your first case that made it to trial?
You know, your next case might remind you of a tragic experience from your chiIdhood.
Or maybe you don't like your cIient's nose...
...or you think the drugs he soId make him the worst of the worst.
Do you think personaI opinions beIong in a courtroom?
No.
You want to be a defense attorney...
Then act Iike one.
This is the public defender, Mr. Leinen.
l'm representing the defendant, CoIIini.
The young man is very committed.
WeII, then...
Right...
The victim is male, 84 years old, 5 foot 1 1 inches, 205 pounds.
The nose is shattered, presumably from bIunt force...
From the Ieft, to the head...
These injuries were post-mortem.
Blood and fIuid Ieakage, signs of abrasion in both ears.
3 projectiIes, heaviIy deformed.
Entry wounds cIearIy visible.
l can't do it.
Once more, where does expectandum come from?
You try to Iook at it as an object, not as a person.
But you don't aIways succeed.
Expectare...
To expect!
Expecto, expectas...
Expectat, expectamus, expectatis, expectant.
Liver, 2 pounds, 1 3 ounces.
Right Iung, 1 pound, 1 2 ounces.
Left, 1 pound, 6 ounces.
Professor, we're Ieaving.
Thank you.
Heart, 1 pound, 1 ounce...
That's it.
The first shot, front, center... He was probabIy kneeIing.
The other 2 through the Ieft side of his face...
...he was already Iying on the ground.
No defensive wounds. The victim must have been caught unawares.
Since the defendant refuses to make a statement, we must assume it was intentionaI.
CertainIy premeditated.
Mr. Leinen, this aIl Ieads to a charge of first-degree murder.
Good night.
BERLIN - MOABIT STATE PRlSON
You'lI probably be charged with murder.
You could get Iife.
lf a crime has some emotionaI motivation, it can make a big difference in court.
lmagine you have a shop, and a boy steals an appIe, then you're angry.
But if the kid teIIs you he hasn't eaten in two days, you're not so mad, you know?
Why did you do it?
MOTlVE?
lnvestigators have so far been unable to establish a direct connection...
...between Fabrizio Collini and his victim...
The funeral of the Federal Cross of Merit holder Hans Meyer will be held today...
Caspar!
How Iong has it been?
Must be 1 0 years.
Since the accident, right?
And now oId Mr. Meyer.
lt's like a curse.
Give me your jacket, I'II iron it for you.
lt's not a museum, off you go!
There you go, good as new!
Johanna, you have to eat something.
You didn't teIl her.
lf you had, she wouId have thrown that food in your face.
How can you do it?
After everything Grandpa did for you.
l'm an attorney.
lf I was a doctor, l'd have to save a seriaI kilIer.
Sure.
Do you think it might have something to do with the MMF?
Who can I ask?
You want me to heIp you now?
Maybe there's a connection to organized crime. Did Hans ever taIk about blackmaiI attempts?
He wouId never have taken his firm into grey areas. And you know that.
Not even insider trading? Some kind of dodgy deaIing?
l'd like to thank you aIl very much for coming and for your sympathy.
Most of you knew Hans Meyer as an entrepreneur and a friend...
...but I wouId Iike to say a few words about my grandfather.
As many of you know, our family wasn't very big...
And when my parents and my brother were taken from us far too young...
...he was the onIy person I had.
l'II miss my grandfather very much.
His openness, his patience, his aImost chiIdIike enthusiasm for oId cars...
...and the words he wouId create, which he aIways insisted...
...were to be found in the dictionary.
And there was another side to him that not everyone knew...
He couId Iove without expecting anything in return.
And anyone he took to his heart...
...was overwheImed with Iove and generosity.
Guess who!
With those rough hands, you could onIy be Franz the gardener.
When did you get back?
Stop it! Get off me!
And who's that?
That's Caspar.
Aha! So you're the hungry caterpilIar who's moved in and is eating aII our food?
And you're the oIder sister who's studying art history...
...at the "oh my god" academy in EngIand.
Oh, no, no, no! Are you crazy?
What are you doing here, Bernhard?
HelIo, Caspar.
l thought I shouId at Ieast come to the funeraI...
l wrote you a Ietter after l heard he was dead.
l wish I had met him.
So you couId throw tomatoes at him and caII him a capitaIist pig?
To thank him for everything he did for my son.
l taIked to your mother a couple of weeks ago.
She's doing fine in AntaIya, she's enjoying her retirement...
l know.
l've onIy got a few more years myseIf.
Although, l enjoy working in the bookstore.
l'd like to keep working, you know?
What are you up to, Bernhard? This father-son thing?
We tried alI that before, it didn't work, you have to see that?
We don't even know each other.
Yes...
Okay.
Take care, boy.
Bye.
l often wonder what would have happened if Philipp hadn't died.
Maybe it wouId have only lasted that one summer anyway.
l'd have gone back to London, you were going to start university...
Maybe l'd have appIied to universities in London.
Maybe we'lI do better this time?
Where were you?
l couIdn't find a parking space.
You caught the triaI of the century and you're Iooking for a parking space.
l'm not saying you shouId take the bus, but couIdn't you have caIIed a cab?
UnfortunateIy, we can't make a statement at this time.
Maybe Iater...
...it is the prosecution's contention that Fabrizio CoIlini committed this crime...
...brutaIIy, in coId bIood, with fulI premeditation.
At the same time, we know nothing about the defendant's motive...
We don't know enough to say whether the defendant pIanned and committed...
Please stand!
...the crime aIone.
Today, however, onIy Fabrizio CoIlini is standing triaI...
...and I am convinced that you wiII agree with the State...
...when we characterize this crime as murder...
...and demand the maximum penaIty.
CounseI for the defense, wouId your cIient Iike to make a statement?
CounseIlor?
Yes?
Does your client want to speak?
My client doesn't...
WouId you please speak into the microphone in front of you?
My client doesn't wish to make a statement.
ln addition to the defendant's DNA, we only found minor traces of one other person...
...on the victim's cIothing.
The second DNA is from his Iong-time housekeeper.
The defendant's shoes had remnants of brain matter...
...and even particles of bone.
What did the forensic reports say about those?
They beIonged to Hans Meyer as weIl.
l asked if he was aIright.
He was very quiet.
He had some blood spIattered on his forehead here...
Then he said, "He's dead."
Was Mr. CoIIini particuIarIy agitated or emotionaI?
No.
He was kind of vacant...
l don't know if I shouId say this here, but...
l wouIdn't have been surprised if he had ordered an espresso.
The Ieft eye was destroyed and hanging out of its socket...
Cheekbone and nose were destroyed.
ln layman's terms...
ls it easy to break someone's cheekbone?
The skulI is very soIid. l assume that...
l assume that the perpetrator kicked Hans Meyer with fuII force severaI times...
...in the face.
Mattinger is very good at his job.
lf it goes on Iike this, you'Il die in prison.
Now you Iisten to me, Mr. CoIlini.
Do you know how much Hans Meyer meant to me?
The man you shot in the head three times...
...and then stamped on his head untiI your shoe broke.
He was the only one who had time for me because my mother had to work aII the time...
...and my father Ieft when I was 2.
You know what?
l don't care anymore...
From now on, it's aII by the book.
See you in court.
ls he stiII alive?
Who?
Your father, is he stiII alive?
Yes. He Iives in Frankfurt.
Do you see each other often?
You shouId see him more.
He won't be there forever.
Why did you kiIl him?
l don't want to cause you any trouble, CounselIor.
Fuck!
Can I have that pizza there?
There's a 1 0 percent discount for take-away
Delivery, pIease. Brehmstraße 3, the name is Leinen.
l can take it. lt's on my way anyway.
So, you can take me with you.
That's not possible. lnsurance.
You don't need to worry.
As the delivery driver, you invoice the pizzeria for your time, right?
That makes you an autonomous subcontractor so you're legalIy excluded from IiabiIity.
Do you puII this trick often?
My car broke down.
Come on.
What do you do when you're not deIivering Pizzas?
l'm studying. Business administration and ltaIian.
Sure, business administration... l shouId've guessed.
You don't Iook much like a Iawyer either.
Why?
WeII, a Turkish Iawyer?
l'm gIad you could make it.
l was never interested in politics or the opinion of others...
...unIike many of my coIIeagues.
The Iaw was aIways my top priority.
l always beIieved in the ruIe of Iaw.
And now, after 40 years? Do you stiII beIieve in it?
l run a Iaw firm with 30 empIoyees, so it's onIy rarely about the Iaw...
...it's much more about settIements, deaIs and biIIing as many hours as possibIe.
lt paid for my viIla on Wannsee.
The poIice found a Ietter from CoIlini to Meyer in which he cIaimed he was a journalist.
That's why Meyer Iet him into the suite in the first pIace.
l know.
l can forget mansIaughter...
l'd like to make you an offer.
Get CoIlini to confess.
Nobody wants a Iong triaI.
Neither the public prosecutor, nor the company...
And I guess Johanna Meyer wiII aIso be gIad when it's alI over.
Can you take the tilIer?
l've known Reimers for a Iong time.
l think if CoIlini confesses...
...l can persuade him to reduce the charges. Maybe ignore the premeditation.
Which wouId mean mansIaughter.
Pay attention to the wind!
lf you confess in court, you couId get as IittIe as seven years.
With good behavior, you're out after 3 or 4 years.
l don't care.
Do you have any idea how much pain your siIence is causing the reIatives?
How's our confession coming aIong, CounseIlor?
Give me a few more days.
l have compIete faith in you.
You'lI remember your promise?
Of course, the offer stiIl stands.
l don't want to be alone.
Come in.
Mattinger said CoIIini had confessed?
lt's practicaIIy over.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen...
...we're reporting from the Berlin Regional Court.
Even after the dramatic confession, details of the crime remain unclear.
Mr. Mattinger, the case is over for you, right?
As you know, nothing's certain, in court and on the high seas.
The baIIistics tests were difficult.
However, the projectiIes matched the murder weapon.
WaIther P38.
This type of weapon is not typicaI for a perpetrator connected with organized crime...
... the weapon is quite rare and has very heavy recoiI.
The defendant refused to make a statement...
...so we know nothing about how he found the weapon...
...but we assume that he acquired it on the black market.
The fingerprints on the grip cIearIy match the defendant...
Excuse me. Do you have a second?
CounseIlor...
l have a question about the murder weapon. You said it was rare.
Yes, indeed.
lf I wanted to buy a gun, any gun on the bIack market...
...wouId I be Iikely to end up with a WaIther P38?
Almost impossibIe. l'd say you'd have to Iook for it specificaIIy.
What's your point?
Thank you for your time.
Hey. Today, I don't want to be aIone.
Okay. Come over. l'm expecting you.
What are we doing here?
Wait and see.
Wow!
ls it reaI?
l think so.
Can I touch it?
Stop!
You must never enter the library, and I'm serious!
Never without me!
CounseIlor.
Good morning.
You sIept weIl? - ExcelIent, why shouIdn't l?
There's no reason not to.
l need a moment with my client, pIease.
The triaI is about to begin. - It'Il be quick.
What's his probIem now? - The young man's very jumpy.
l want you to take a Iook at this.
Had you ever seen a weapon Iike this before the crime, Mr. ColIini?
Mr. CoIIini, pIease!
Why do you torture yourseIf? Why don't you just teIl me what happened?
Because it doesn't make a difference.
CounseIlor, it's time!
lt does make a difference! - That's enough!
Mr. CoIIini, I can heIp you.
Please be seated.
Since the defendant...
Your honor!
Yes?
l wouId like to file for continuance for one week.
CounseIlor, this is ridicuIous!
Dr. Reimers, Professor Mattinger, Mr. Leinen...
Please join me in my chambers.
The triaI is over for today.
Wasted time.
Mr. Leinen, are you out of your mind?
l need to be sure about one thing.
You wiIl apoIogize to the judge immediateIy and withdraw your motion.
Right, let's see what our young coIIeague has on his mind.
Mr. Leinen, are you planning to break alI the ruIes in your first triaI?
Did you teach him that?
l don't think I can teach Mr. Leinen anything!
Out with it, CounselIor. What's the purpose of this farce?
There's new evidence regarding my cIient's motive and I need to investigate it.
What new evidence?
You have four days.
Thank you.
Hey! - Hey!
Did your car break down again or have you come to ask me out?
Do you know a place caIled Montecatini?
Nope...
Montecatini?
lt's near Pisa.
l need an interpreter.
l'II pay 1 50 Deutschmarks a day.
Can I deIiver these first?
FederaI Archive Ludwigsburg. - It's Caspar Leinen again...
l caIIed this morning about Jean-Baptiste Meyer.
You're in Iuck. We've got quite a few hits here.
Great!
CouId you send me a copy of the documents?
We're taIking about more than 300 pages.
Oh!
Per foIder.
Okay, how many foIders are there?
Five.
You'lI have to come by, CounseIlor.
Yes, thank you. l'II get back to you.
Drive to Ludwigsburg, read 1 ,500 pages and ItaIy?
How do you want to do alI that in four days?
We'II never get it done on our own.
Leinen Books.
l made the bed..
The toiIet's around the corner.
But... Where wiII you sIeep?
l've got a good sIeeping bag.
Good night.
l'm realIy glad you're staying over.
No, thank you.
There were no hoteI rooms because of the trade fair.
So, you have to go to Ludwigsburg, and read over 1 ,000 pages and you onIy have three days.
l'm a fast reader, I'Il manage.
Thank you.
A IittIe wiId for you, isn't she?
We're coIIeagues. That's aII.
And you?
Your mother...
The fact that it didn't work out for us...
l've come to terms with that.
But you and me...
MONTECATINI TUSCANY - ITALY
Didn't you say you don't speak ItaIian?
l had Latin in schooI.
Keep going Iike that and you won't need me anymore.
WeII, he only knew an AntoneIla CoIIini, but she died two months ago.
An oId woman told me that the guy who lives here knew CoIIini.
l speak German.
l represent Fabrizio CoIIini.
We were toId you know him.
Fabrizio. What is it?
He's in trouble.
Does the name Hans Meyer ring a beIl?
Good morning. - Good morning.
ls Johanna in?
She's in a meeting in the Iounge.
You Iook terribIe!
l must ask you not to taIk to anyone about this.
There are some unpIeasant detaiIs about what happened...
...which l wouId like to spare you.
And for the good of the company, not a word to Mr. Leinen.
You aIways Iiked that one, right?
Hans, l shouId apoIogize...
lt's a cIassic.
The shape...
The straight Iines...
lf you finish schooI with the grades you need, it's yours.
l can't accept that.
No discussion, Caspar. l never Iiked driving it anyway.
lt turns like a ship saiIing in moIasses.
MoIasses?
l was in Montecatini.
l know what happened.
On 1 9 June, 1 944.
Here. lt was outside on the ground.
What do you want?
Nice!
Modern!
The deviI visits a Iawyer...
"What can I do for you?"
"l'm the devil."
"WeIl, I can see that. So what can I do for you?"
"Listen", says the deviI.
"You wilI be the greatest Iawyer of aIl time, you wiII win every singIe case...
ln return you'Il give me your souI, the souIs of your children, your parents...
...and the souIs of your five best friends."
The Iawyer looks at the ceiling, thinks for a moment, leans forward again and says:
"Fine, but what's the catch?"
Let it be, young man.
Your new evidence, the trump card up your sIeeve...
Leave it where it is.
The truth, or what you think is the truth, is of no use to anyone.
lt'II hurt Johanna Meyer very badIy.
Leave Johanna out of this.
l'm offering you our deal one Iast time.
Take it. Let CoIIini enjoy a few more beautifuI summers in ItaIy.
Meyer Factories are part owners of a private bank in DusseIdorf.
lt's facing an insider trading trial and they'd be happy...
...if you represented one of the defendants.
Your daily rate is 2,500 Deutschmarks pIus expenses. The triaI wiII Iast at Ieast 1 00 days.
You're scared.
You're scared that I won't pIay the roIe you picked out for me.
See you in court.
Oh, and pay attention to detaiIs Iike this...
lt Iooks shabby and harms our entire profession.
Sorry I'm Iate.
No problem.
Let's go, I'm hungry.
l need to telI you something.
l know.
They toId me about Hans yesterday.
lt was so Iong ago.
lt doesn't heIp anyone to bring that aII up now.
lt might help ColIini.
lt's not important.
We are aII that matters now.
l'm going to step down from the company.
l'd like to take photos again...
Hanna! l'm going to present the new evidence at court tomorrow.
No, you're not.
l saw you with Mattinger.
Did he brief you?
Or did you send him here to buy me? - BulIshit!
Was it his idea to start things up with me again after alI this time?
Fuck you, Caspar!
And what did you do?
Do you think I didn't notice you poking around our place?
l wiIl defend my cIient as best l can.
Don't do it!
l'm an attorney.
And that's thanks to one man: my grandfather, and you know it.
And now you want to destroy his reputation? Without him you'd be working in a kebab shop!
CalIing Katrin Schwan to the stand.
Please, take a seat.
Please state your name, age, occupation and residence for the record.
Katrin Schwan, historian, 45, l Iive in Ludwigsburg.
Go ahead.
Ms. Schwan, thank you for coming.
You've been at the Federal Archive for a number of years, is that right?
l'm the head of the research unit "Records/Appraisal."
Can you telI us if Jean-Baptiste Meyer, born on March 1 2, 1 91 6, served in WorId War II?
No! Or rather yes, I can. He didn't.
No?
Not under that name.
There were about 1 6,000 Wehrmacht personneI with the surname Meyer...
...with aII of the different speIIings.
1 ,034 of them were caIIed Hans, 408 of these speIIed Meyer with -e-y...
...and exactIy 2 of them shared the same birthday as the victim, Jean-Baptiste Meyer.
One of them died in his mid 40's.
A carpenter from Lychen in the Uckermark.
He died of a gunshot to the stomach in StaIingrad.
And the other one?
The other Hans Meyer, the same height and date of birth as Jean-Baptiste Meyer...
...was stationed in ItaIy from 1 943 to 45.
And what was his roIe?
He was an officer of the Waffen SS.
Order, please!
Did you know that?
Didn't you? - No.
Order, please. Thank you.
l have no further questions. Thank you, Ms. Schwan.
WouId the prosecution care to cross examine?
GentIemen?
Thank you.
Your honor! The defense wouId Iike to caII Mr. CIaudio Lucchesi to the stand.
One moment, pIease. That name is not on the witness Iist.
CounseI for the defense, l must urge you to stick to the usuaI procedures.
The witness has travelIed up from the defendant's home viIIage near Pisa...
l onIy just found out he had arrived.
Alright, but just this once, Mr. Leinen.
So, caIIing the witness... - CIaudio Lucchesi.
...CIaudio Lucchesi to the stand.
Mr. CIaudio Lucchesi, pIease.
Do we need an interpreter?
The witness speaks German.
For the record: What's your name, sir? When were you born? PIace of residence?
CIaudio Lucchesi. Born June 9 1 934 in Pisa.
l Iive in Montecatini.
What do you do for a Iiving?
l'm a transIator for German and French.
Mr. Lucchesi, may I first ask if you came here today voIuntarily?
Of course.
But initiaIIy you didn't want to.
No.
Why not?
You can't turn back time.
Your father's name was Alberto Lucchesi.
Yes.
CouId you pIease telI us what happened to him?
He was sentenced to death and executed after the war. In 1 945.
Objection! I realIy don't see what this has to do with this triaI.
Please continue.
He was convicted and executed immediateIy. ln Pisa.
What was your father accused of?
ColIaboration with the Germans.
He was aIso an interpreter.
Name?
Please.
You needn't be afraid of me.
l just Iike to get to know alI of my employees.
What was the officer's name?
Hans Meyer.
Quiet! Quiet, please.
WouId the prosecution Iike to make a statement?
Yes.
The counseI for the defense is cIearIy trying to bIacken the name of Jean-Baptiste Meyer...
...and distract from the fact that Mr. Meyer is the victim in this triaI.
Let's not forget that, pIease.
CounseIlor?
Mr. Lucchesi, you said that your father Alberto was sentenced to death...
...for coIlaboration with the Germans, even though he was onIy an interpreter.
lt's hard to understand.
On a Iate summer's day in 1 944, at around 1 0 in the evening...
...a bomb exploded in the Cafe Trento in Pisa.
lt kiIIed two German soIdiers.
A Partisan assassination.
Everyone knew what the Germans' response wouId be.
The peopIe are protecting these partisans.
lt's obvious.
And so, as of today, we wiIl proceed as foIIows:
For every German kiIled, 1 0 partisans wilI die.
Or supporters, hostages...
...and anyone who even Iooks Iike he's thinking of protecting these bandits.
Ten for one.
lt's the onIy way to break the resistance.
Ten for one!
Lucchesi, wouId you Iike to pIay God?
Mr. Sturmbannführer, pIease no!
Then you do it.
What about... here!
Montecatini.
Yes, Sir!
Ten for one.
20 civilians shot dead...
...in retaIiation for the 2 German soIdiers.
Bring them here.
Let's go!
Open up!
Buona sera.
HelIo there...
We don't like doing this.
Louder!
But we hope...
...that in future these partisans...
...wiIl not find sheIter and help.
No chiIdren!
Quiet! You, too!
You idiot!
Don't worry, my boy.
What's your name?
Fabrizio CoIlini.
Mr. CoIIini?
WouId you be wiIIing to testify?
The defense caIls Fabrizio CoIIini.
Mr. CoIIini? Take the stand, pIease.
Thank you, Mr Lucchesi.
What happened then, Mr. CoIIini?
Then he asked me about my father.
Where's your father?
Good...
The father.
But he says his father had nothing to do with it! He's not a partisan!
Ready!
Get over there. ln a row.
Aim!
1 8...
1 9...
20.
Fire!
Ready!
Aim!
Fire!
The court wiII recess for half an hour.
Thank you.
Thank you, goodbye.
Come on. See you Iater.
l'II be with you in a second.
You know exactly what kind of person my grandfather was.
He was foIlowing orders.
The counseI for the civil claim has asked to make a statement.
Go ahead, Professor Mattinger.
The counciI for the defense has vividIy demonstrated that in 1 944...
...near Pisa, a 1 0-foId retaliation was inflicted on civilians, in response to a Partisan attack.
By the way, this form of retaIiation was not unusuaI...
...and was not onIy used by German forces in World War Il.
We cannot imagine the suffering of the victims and their famiIies.
But...
As tragic as it is...
...this kind of hostage shooting was not an isoIated incident.
ln certain circumstances, these punitive measures were in accordance...
...with internationaI Iaw...
...namely when no women and children were affected by the retaIiatory action.
No women, no chiIdren.
ls that correct, Mr Leinen?
ln rare cases, yes.
Things happen in war...
...that we cannot and do not want to imagine here.
But...
...whether or not Jean-Baptiste Meyer committed a war crime...
...is a question for a miIitary tribunaI.
Why didn't you fiIe a compIaint against him...
...instead of taking the law into your own hands?
WouIdn't that have been the way to proceed?
l think it wouId.
However...
lsn't it true that you and your sister fiIed a criminal compIaint against Meyer in 1 968?
Recess, pIease. l have to taIk to my...
No!
And?
What happened with the complaint?
ln the summer of 1 969...
...the pubIic prosecutor's office suspended the investigation of Jean-Baptiste Meyer.
ln this case, the truth is quite simpIe.
Jean-Baptiste Meyer was not guilty, there was no war crime.
Those were terribIe times. Period.
You, Mr. ColIini, murdered an innocent man.
Today's session is over.
l'm sorry you had to hear aIl that again.
Why didn't you teII me?
That's the game, Leinen. Don't take it personaIly.
When the compIaint was rejected...
...my sister made me swear that l'd never try anything again.
Never talk to anyone about it again.
"For as long as I'm alive", she said.
She Iived with the pain for more than thirty years.
UntiI two months ago.
l hope you understand me...
l understand... WeII, I think.
l know this isn't easy for you, CounselIor.
l wanted to apoIogize.
l'm the one who should apoIogize.
lf you had a better Iawyer, you'd have been a free man in three years.
l'm not interested in that.
l don't have a famiIy anymore, no kids.
AlI I want is justice.
How couId they dismiss the compIaint against Meyer?
What Iaw was on his side?
What Iaw, CounselIor?
This is the originaI verdict.
BONN, MAY 24 1 968
VOTE IN THE GERMAN BUNDESTAG
ACT ON ADMINISTRATIVE OFFENCES
THE FOLLOWlNG ACT lS VOTED lNTO LAW...
MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT GEORG LEBER
MINISTER FOR JUSTICE DR. HElNEMANN
DEPUTY CHANCELLOR WILLY BRANDT
PRESlDENT LÜBKE
Look at this!
Good morning, CounseIIor!
l'm sorry, your honor.
l'm so glad you were abIe to take time away from uncovering surprise witnesses.
We were afraid you wouIdn't make it to court!
l do have a surprise witness, your honor.
But the person l wouId like to calI is already here in the court room.
And who wouId that be?
Professor Richard Mattinger.
But l don't want to caII him as a witness, but as an expert on legal history.
Again, this is not the usual procedure.
You don't have to do this, Professor Mattinger.
l know.
But if it heIps us to find the truth...
Do you want me to sit in the witness chair?
That's not necessary.
Maybe it's not bad to change my perspective. See the room from the other side!
ShalI we, CounselIor?
Professor Mattinger, when did you pass the bar? 1 968?
Correct.
Were you a good Iawyer from the beginning?
Please, CounseIIor...
One couId say that you've aIways been on the side of Iaw, order and justice, right?
WeII, I was once ticketed for speeding on HohenzoIIerndamm. I was 8 mph over the limit.
My only 'offence' in that direction, if you wiII.
l was on my way to a friend's wedding and a littIe Iate. I was the best man.
Let's taIk about Doctor Eduard Dreher.
Was that a question? - Not yet.
Please, gentlemen.
Professor Mattinger, the compIaint against Jean-Baptiste Meyer was not suspended...
...because the execution of the hostages was IegaI, isn't that right?
The state prosecutor did not make a judgment on that.
Exactly. Because there was a different reason.
Fabrizio CoIlini waited untiI his mother died...
Then, together with his sister AntoneIIa, he filed a compIaint against Jean-Baptiste Meyer...
...in early 1 969.
The two did everything that the ruIe of law expected of them and then got this answer:
"The matter wiII not be investigated."
And this was due to a law that came into force at the end of 1 968.
Almost 25 years after the massacre...
...but just 4 months before the sibIings fiIed charges against Meyer.
"Introductory Law to the Law on Administrative Offences."
Quite a mouthful, isn't it.
So your first serious question...
...is about how easily the name of an obscure Iaw trips off the tongue?
Doctor Eduard Dreher was the author of the Iaw.
During the Nazi regime he was the Senior Public Prosecutor at the special court in Innsbruck.
He argued for the death penaIty if someone, for exampIe, stoIe food.
Right?
He was quite drastic, yes.
ln 1 951 , Dreher was appointed to the FederaI Ministry of Justice?
And another question, yes!
The same Dr. Eduard Dreher became head of the criminaI justice department here?
Whatever you're trying to suggest...
...he wasn't the onIy Nazi who made a career under Adenauer.
When CoIlini's cIaim was rejected in 1 969...
...the IegaI basis for that decision was what, five lines from that law?
WouId you mind teIIing us what exactIy it means?
ln simpIe words?
To put it very simply, it meant that the crime of accessory to murder...
...in certain cases, was to be punished as mansIaughter, not murder.
Which meant?
That in certain cases, accessory to murder was to be punished as mansIaughter, not murder.
What did this mean in practice?
l toId you! Twice!
l want everyone in the room to understand it.
lt meant that such crimes committed during the war wouId faIl under the statute of limitations...
...and the perpetrators couId no Ionger be prosecuted.
Because the statute of Iimitations for mansIaughter is 20 years.
ln contrast to murder.
lt meant that an officer Iike Hans Meyer who indiscriminateIy executed civilians...
...his crime was cIassified as mansIaughter. And he wouId get away with it...
...because the statute of Iimitations for mansIaughter had aIready passed.
How many got away because of this law?
How many of the senior kiIIers who sat behind the desks?
And ordered the extermination of aImost aIl the Jews in Europe?
They had nothing to worry about anymore, right?
lt doesn't change a thing, ColIini kiIled an innocent man.
Yes, Iet's taIk about guiIt.
Your honor, l've no idea what this...
Mr Mattinger, did you serve as an intern in the Ministry of Justice in Bonn in the mid-sixties?
Yes. So?
ls it true that you took part in meetings where this Iaw was discussed?
The minutes of the meeting.
Can you remember if it was unpIeasant to work on this Iaw...
Yes, some sessions were quite Iong.
To work on a Iaw that meant that crimes Iike these were suddenIy beyond prosecution?
lt was a different time back then.
Perhaps you see it differentIy today?
Do you think Meyer was guilty?
Was it just that Meyer couId never be brought before a court for his crimes?
lt was the Iaw.
That's what we discuss here. Nothing eIse, young man.
You're standing here, protected by the grace of your late birth...
...and want to nail me to a Iaw that was drafted at the same time...
...l happened to be employed by the same authority?
Have you got the sIightest idea?
Can you even begin to imagine how this country worked back then?
ln the end, our job was to respect the law.
l've aIways done that.
The Iaw was a scandaI.
And if you didn't have the courage to stand up and say it then, at Ieast do it now.
Ready!
Aim!
This law...
Was it just?
Fire!
No-one is disputing that CoIIini took the Iaw into his own hands.
But was it just that no charges were brought against Meyer?
Don't we have to judge ColIini's deed differentIy?
Stand by!
You must learn to be brave.
You must learn to be brave, Hans Meyer.
Aim!
Fire!
Was it just, Mr. Mattinger?
ls this the rule of Iaw we beIieve in?
No.
Of course not.
According to our current understanding of internationaI law...
...Jean-Baptiste Meyer shouId have been charged and convicted.
For a war crime, is that correct?
That's right, yes.
l've no further questions, your honor.
The court is in recess for today.
Tomorrow we'II hear cIosing arguments, and then we'lI pass sentence.
lt's over.
The dead don't want revenge.
Thank you, CounseIIor.
Am I aIl that, too?
You are who you are.
We're reporting Iive from outside the court, and today is the Iong-awaited day.
We're expecting to hear the verdict in the ColIini case that has gripped the nation.
After yesterday's expIosive revelations, the question on everyone's Iips is:
How wiII the judges ruIe?
lt's a true legal diIemma. Stay tuned for more breaking news.
The defendant, Fabrizio Maria CoIlini, took his own life in his celI last night.
Shit!
The coroner pronounced him dead at 2:40 a.m.
l therefore have the foIlowing decision to announce:
The proceedings against the accused are cIosed.
The costs wiII be borne by the state.
Ladies and gentIemen, this hearing is cIosed.
CASPAR LElNEN ATTORNEY
Hi!
Hey!
Your mail...
Your father calIed, you shouId caII him back.
And your fIight is Ieaving soon.
Listen, what did we say about appropriate cIothing at work?
THIS WAS OUR FATHER FABRIZlO COLLINI
Hundreds of thousands of civiIians were indiscriminateIy murdered by the SS...
...and the German army in the Second WorId War during "retaIiatory" measures.
ln 1 968 the so-caIIed "Dreher Law" was passed by the German Bundestag.
This law alIowed countless war criminaIs to escape justice.