Justice: “He could have braked” – trial after Berlin death drive

justice
“He could have braked” – Trial after Berlin death drive

Photos and videos on a large screen outline the fatal car ride on June 8, 2022 in the shadow of the Berlin Memorial Church. “An elongated field of splinters and traces,” describes an expert on traffic accidents. The pictures show what happened on Tuesday in room 500 of the Berlin district court when a driver crashed his car into pedestrians. A 29-year-old man is said to have done this on purpose eight months ago. He was aware that there could be fatalities, which he accepted with approval, according to the prosecutor’s office. She accuses him of murder and attempted murder as well as dangerous bodily harm.

A school class from northern Hesse was particularly affected by the death drive on Kurfürstendamm (Ku’damm) and Tauentzienstrasse. The 51-year-old 10th grade teacher at the Kaulbach School in Bad Arolsen died at the scene. A colleague and eleven students were injured, some critically. A 14-year-old who was visiting Berlin with her grandparents was also one of those affected. Other victims were a 32-year-old who was seven months pregnant and two 29- and 31-year-old men standing in front of a snack bar. Eleven victims are also represented in the process as joint plaintiffs.

Fear of re-traumatization

However, her place in the courtroom remains empty, only her lawyers follow the events. As the presiding judge Thomas Groß explained at the start of the trial, there is a risk of re-traumatisation for numerous victims as a result of the trial. Above all, he wants to spare the young people affected, if possible, additional psychological stress through another hearing of witnesses. In order to be able to take their experiences into account in the process, earlier statements should be read out. He wants to give the young people “space here without forcing them into this space,” explains Groß.

The accused, who claims to have German citizenship, has been in a prison hospital since the death trip. According to the public prosecutor’s office, a preliminary psychiatric report suggests that the man is not guilty. In a so-called security procedure, prosecutor Silke van Sweringen is seeking accommodation in a psychiatric hospital. The man, who was born in Armenia, has been suffering from schizophrenia since at least 2014. Without treatment, the authorities fear that the accused will commit further dangerous crimes.

Rushing towards it without stopping

On that day in June 2022, the man first raced onto the sidewalk on Ku’damm where the school class was. After that he “continued the journey unchecked,” said Sweringen. “The ride only ended when he broke through a shop window.” Before that, his car hit the pregnant woman and the two men standing in front of a snack bar.

“The accused did not brake during the collision,” explains accident expert Dietmar Severin. When he suddenly steered off the road onto the sidewalk, he pressed the gas pedal fully – “the engine roared.” There were no technical defects on the vehicle – “he could have braked,” says Severin. The driver also did not brake when people were lying on the hood. None of this can be reconciled with an unintentional driving style.

The 29-year-old followed the first day of the trial in silence. His client will initially not comment, explains his defense attorney Mark Höfler. He lacks access to the tragic events. “He can’t say what was going on in his mind that day,” said the lawyer on the side. “But it is important to him and his family to make it clear how sorry they are for this terrible event,” emphasizes the defender. His client probably did not take enough medication and therefore fell into a psychotic state.

The trial is scheduled to resume on February 17. The competent 22nd Criminal Chamber then plans to question the seriously injured teacher from Hesse as a witness. So far, the court has planned a total of twelve days of hearings. The verdict could therefore be pronounced on April 21st.

dpa