A U.S. woman accidentally stabbed an Eritrean to death during a struggle after he groped her at a German train station – and now faces up to ten years in prison.

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED?

The woman, 20, was standing on an escalator at Kaiserslautern train station, in the southwestern state of Rhineland-Palatinate, when the 64-year-old man grabbed her backside on June 29.

An argument ensued before the woman drew a folding knife and made stabbing movements at the man. 

The American, who lives in Kaiserslautern, told investigators she wanted to keep the man at a distance. When he finally backed away, the woman followed. 

The Eritrean man grabbed her arm holding the knife and as the woman tried to free herself, she stabbed him in the heart ‘during the same movement’, according to prosecutors. He died within seconds. 

The woman has been charged with causing bodily harm resulting in death and could be sentenced to up to ten years in prison at youth court.

She claimed that she did not intentionally aim for the man’s heart and argued that she acted in self defence to keep him at a distance.

WHAT COURT THINKS

Prosecutors believe that the woman didn’t intentionally stab the Eritrean in his heart after viewing CCTV footage, which is why they haven’t charged her with murder or manslaughter.

She allegedly wanted to injure the man, but not kill him.

The woman has since been released. The youth court is due to decide whether to accept the charge against the woman.