What does “fahrlässige Tötung” mean in German?

In this report on the Lorenz A. case, the prosecutor files a charge against the police officer “wegen fahrlässiger Tötung.” This is not murder. It means the officer is accused of causing a death by careless or reckless action, not by planning it. The phrase sits between an accident and a deliberate killing, and you hear it often when German news covers a death heading to court.

Spoken line: “Im November 2025 erhebt die Staatsanwaltschaft Oldenburg Anklage gegen den Polizisten wegen fahrlässiger Tötung.” — “In November 2025 the Oldenburg prosecutor files a charge against the police officer for negligent killing.” Two parts: “fahrlässig” = careless, reckless (not paying enough attention). “Tötung” = a killing. Put together, it names a death caused by carelessness, with no intent to kill. More examples: - “Er wurde wegen fahrlässiger Tötung angeklagt.” — He was charged with negligent killing. - “Das Gericht prüft, ob es fahrlässige Tötung war.” — The court is checking whether it was negligent killing. Usage notes: You will mostly meet this exact phrase in crime and court news. The word “wegen” (for / because of) usually comes right before it: “wegen fahrlässiger Tötung.” If the death is on purpose, the news uses “Mord” (murder) or “Totschlag” instead — so the choice of word tells you how serious the charge is.