crime
Trial over explosion in Ratingen: verdict is expected
A verdict is expected in the trial surrounding the explosion in a high-rise building in Ratingen. photo
© David Young/dpa
The verdict in the trial surrounding the murder attempt on emergency services in Ratingen near Düsseldorf could come as early as today. The 57-year-old defendant faces life imprisonment.
In the trial surrounding the explosion in a high-rise building The verdict is to be announced today in Ratingen near Düsseldorf. Before that, the defense attorney’s plea is planned. The defendant also has the opportunity to have the last word.
The public prosecutor’s office has demanded life imprisonment for the 57-year-old and requested that the particular gravity of his guilt be determined. The 57-year-old German wanted to murder nine people with the explosion he triggered.
Petrol was poured on the emergency services
Police, fire and rescue services came to his apartment on the tenth floor of a high-rise building on May 11 to help a helpless person who was believed to be in the apartment.
The 57-year-old is said to have lurked behind a barricade of water tanks, poured several liters of gasoline on the emergency services and set it on fire. The gas-air mixture exploded. A fireball hit the emergency services.
Several of them were in acute danger of death, and eight of the nine injured will have permanent injuries. A lawyer for the injured rescue workers emphasized that everything suddenly changed for the victims on May 11th. Most would probably not be able to return to their job and would suffer the consequences for the rest of their lives.
Psychiatrist: penchant for conspiracy theories
There is great disappointment that the 57-year-old remained silent about his motives and motives for the attack. The crime remains even more incomprehensible for the victims.
A psychiatrist reported that the defendant had developed a penchant for conspiracy theories during the corona pandemic. He described the Covid vaccination as the “vaccine of the devil” and state institutions such as the employment office as “tools of the devil”. He also claimed that his mother’s medication was poisoned.
The man had also lived in the apartment with his mother’s body for weeks. The emergency services encountered a strong smell of decomposition. Because the residents of the apartment had not been seen for weeks and their mailbox was overflowing, the property management had informed the police.
If the court determines the particular gravity of the guilt, release from prison after 15 years would be legally possible, but in practice it is almost impossible.