Sign up for IQ Index
The latest industry news to your inbox.
Three people hurt in the crush at Love Parade 2010, which left 21 dead, are seeking combined damages of over €140,000 following the failure of a criminal trial
By Jon Chapple on 09 Sep 2016
A memorial to the Love Parade dead in Duisburg
image © Carschten/Wikimedia Commons
Three Love Parade attendees have began fresh civil proceedings against those involved in organising the tragic 2010 festival.
There have been over 30 civil cases brought against festival promoter Lopavent, the city of Duisburg and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia since 2010 – all of them unsuccessful – although the latest claims are the first since a court ruled in April no one will stand trial over the disaster, which left 21 dead, owing to a lack of evidence.
German public broadcaster WDR reports that one woman, who suffered concussion, is seeking €73,000 in damages, with two more seeking between €34,000 and €56,000 each.
“I am of the view that the irresponsible behaviour of planners and organisers can not be atoned for without [paying these damages]”
Bärbel Schönhof, representing the first woman, a 51-year-old from Duisburg, says despite the failure of earlier lawsuits she is confident of a victory, “because I am of the view that [the] irresponsible behaviour of planners and organisers can not be atoned for without such a judgment”.
Twenty-one people died and over 500 were injured on 24 July 2010 in a crush in a tunnel that served as the sole entrance to Love Parade. Over a million people attended the dance music festival, which was held at a former goods yard in Duisburg with a capacity of around 250,000.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.