Cones, cigarette butts, catastrophe: Seven years in prison for a vacation in Mallorca?

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What actually happened there?

It sounds like a bad joke—but it's deadly serious: A group of friends from Münster travel to Mallorca in May 2022 to party. The plan: sun, beer, Ballermann. But in the end, there's a burned-down bar, injuries—and now a hefty indictment.

According to Bild newspaper, the Spanish public prosecutor's office now wants to send the men to prison: it is seeking seven-year sentences for eight of the thirteen bowling club members. The accusation: they are alleged to have started the fire in the well-known bar "Why Not Mallorca" themselves – allegedly with burning cigarettes and a "flammable liquid" that they threw from their hotel balcony onto the roof.

Fire on the first day of vacation

According to investigations, the fire broke out on the very first day of the vacation. The bar burned fiercely, and an establishment below it was also severely damaged. People were injured, and the damage runs into the hundreds of thousands.

The members of the bowling club "Stramm am Tisch" are suspected. They are alleged to have climbed from balcony to balcony, gained access to an empty hotel room, and launched their dangerous operation from there. At least, that is what it says in the indictment, which has been made available to the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

However, it is unclear exactly what landed on the roof. There is vague talk of "beer or something similar." One thing is certain: the thatched roof caught fire, the bar burned down, and several people had to receive medical treatment. The owner was just able to save himself.

The other side of the story

The bowling club members maintain their innocence to this day. Their lawyer speaks of many unanswered questions—and of the fact that there is no clear evidence. In addition, some of the accused, as volunteer firefighters, even helped bring hotel guests to safety. In doing so, they themselves are said to have suffered smoke inhalation.

Nevertheless, eight of the men spent two months in Spanish custody. They were only released after paying half a million euros in bail. Much time has passed since then, but the trial is still pending.

Our classification

Anyone who plays with fire with cigarettes bears responsibility—no question about it. But criminal proceedings of this magnitude require more than mere assumptions. If the evidence is as shaky as it sounds, it would be disastrous to turn a party mood into a judicial scandal. But one thing is also clear: Mallorca is no stage for recklessness. Anyone who misbehaves must expect consequences—even beyond sangria and the beach.

Source: bild.de