In the criminal proceedings following the fatal collision on Lake Constance a key witness admitted before the Feldkirch Regional Court on 2 November 2026 that he had not told the truth during an earlier questioning. The correction places the witness’s credibility at the centre of the case and requires the court and investigators to reassess some aspects of the evidence.
The accident happened on 12 October 2025. According to information published at the time, an Austrian motorboat and an sailing boaton Lake Constance, carrying two German nationals, collided with another vessel. A 57-year-old woman died. Investigations by the Water Police as well as a joint statement from the Konstanz Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Konstanz Police Headquarters documented forensic and technical evidence that advanced the criminal investigation. Subsequently, the motorboat’s operator was investigated for a homicide offence; depending on the legal assessment, the charge could extend to murder.
The witness whose testimony has now been revised was a passenger at the time. According to consistent reports, he said he had made inaccurate statements in his initial testimony. Which specific passages he has corrected, and why he says he initially gave false testimony, are matters for the ongoing evidentiary proceedings. What is crucial to the further course of the case is whether, and to what extent, this correction affects the assessment of intent, possible forms of the offence or aggravating circumstances.
The court in Feldkirch is conducting the main trial under Austrian criminal procedure; German authorities were involved during the investigation through forensic reports and coordinated press statements. Regardless of the current state of the witness evidence, physical traces, navigation and technical analyses, and forensic medical findings remain key pillars of the case. The question also arises as to whether the witness could face separate criminal consequences for possible perjury.
For the deceased woman’s relatives, establishing responsibility, motive and the circumstances of the accident remains a priority. Whether and how the corrected testimony affects the murder charge against the defendant will be decided in the course of further hearings. The court and public prosecutor’s office point out that the presumption of innocence applies until a final judgment has been handed down.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).