schwere Körperverletzung
schwere Körperverletzung is the German term for aggravated assault.
This phrase describes a crime involving an attack that causes serious physical injury to another person.
What does it mean word for word?
The term literally translates to serious bodily harm.
Which one should you use?
While Körperverletzung refers to simple assault or bodily harm, adding the adjective schwere elevates the charge to schwere Körperverletzung (aggravated assault) under German law.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is a feminine noun phrase, so the adjective schwer takes the -e ending in the nominative singular case.
Did you know?
- German law distinguishes between gefährliche Körperverletzung, which involves weapons, and schwere Körperverletzung, which focuses on the severity of the medical outcome.
- The word Körper is the linguistic sibling of the English word 'corpus', used in legal phrases like 'habeas corpus'.
- The noun Verletzung comes from the verb verletzen, which is used not just for physical wounds but also for 'hurting' someone's feelings or violating a rule.
Examples in context
- Der Angeklagte wurde wegen schwerer Körperverletzung vor Gericht gestellt.The defendant was brought to court on charges of aggravated assault.
- Die Jury betrachtete den Vorfall als eine schwere Körperverletzung.The jury regarded the incident as an aggravated assault.
- Die Tat wird als schwere Körperverletzung gewertet.The act is classified as aggravated assault.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a news report about a criminal trial.
- SarahHast du von dem Prozess gehört?Did you hear about the trial?
- LukasJa, es ging um schwere Körperverletzung.Yes, it was about aggravated assault.
- SarahDas klingt nach einem sehr ernsten Vorfall.That sounds like a very serious incident.
- LukasJa, der Mann steht nun vor Gericht.Yes, the man is now in court.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Körperverletzung, CC BY-SA 4.0.
