crime
Defendant remains silent in the trial surrounding the explosion in Ratingen
The defendant sits in the dock in the courtroom. photo
© Oliver Berg/dpa Pool/dpa
The explosion in a high-rise building in Ratingen six months ago is said to have been a murderous attack on emergency services. The alleged perpetrator, a 57-year-old, remains silent in court.
The first witness to testify in the trial was the police officer who was the first to go into the apartment. It was quiet in the apartment, he said. Then he suddenly saw the defendant with a burning piece of textile in his hand. He reported that there was a heat stroke and his colleague was on fire. He accompanied her downstairs. Later he was in a coma for weeks due to serious injuries.
Police were called to the apartment because of an overflowing mailbox and a smell of decay. The police later came across the body of the 57-year-old’s mother in the apartment. She had probably died several weeks earlier.
The police counted 35 people injured after the explosion, most of whom were treated for suspected smoke inhalation. The public prosecutor’s office said eight of the nine victims were expected to suffer permanent damage.
The court has scheduled nine days of hearings for the criminal trial until January 11 next year.