The prosecution sought a significantly harsher sentence for a man who threatened his girlfriend before dousing her with gasoline and setting her on fire. The Debrecen Court of Appeal increased the defendant’s prison sentence from 11 to 13 years.
According to the final judgment, the victim was married but had entered into a relationship with the defendant in the summer of 2022, with her husband’s knowledge.
On the afternoon of October 11, 2022, the woman visited the defendant at his home. Once again, he tried to persuade her to leave her husband and start a new life with him. She consistently refused, which enraged the man, and she eventually left for home.
A short time later, the defendant spotted the woman on the street, ran after her, grabbed her by the throat, and dragged her into his house while threatening to set her on fire if she did not choose him. Holding a knife to her neck, he repeatedly threatened to kill her. He then poured gasoline over her and used a lighter to ignite her clothing, which immediately burst into flames.
The woman managed to escape from the house, tore off her burning clothes, and immersed her arm in a barrel of water in the yard. The defendant gave her a T-shirt to wear but threatened her again. She fled to the home of an acquaintance, who alerted the police and emergency medical services.
The victim suffered first-, second-, and third-degree burns covering approximately 25 percent of her body.
Agreeing with the prosecution’s appeal, the Debrecen Court of Appeal ruled that a harsher punishment was necessary to meet both general and individual sentencing objectives, increasing the defendant’s prison sentence from 11 years to 13 years.
The judgment is final and legally binding.
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