Victims struggle with the aftermath of June 25th
Five of the injured are represented by the law firm of Bernhard Löwenberg, a lawyer from Würzburg: “Some of our clients are severely injured, some of whom are physically marked, some for the rest of their lives.” Other clients would have put the act away physically and mentally better.
The personal handling of the victims of the bloody deed also differs from case to case, says Löwenberg. He has clients who want to be left in peace as much as possible; do not want to appear in public. Others were more open about the fact.
A few days after the crime, the Lower Franconia police asked not to publish any pictures and names of the victims without their consent: “The distribution of names and photos on social media is not helpful here and does not show real sympathy.” Victim protection officers from the police and the Free State of Bavaria are in contact with the victims.
Perpetrator suffering from paranoid schizophrenia
Some of the victims now have to take the witness stand in the trial. “We have clients who take it very calmly. But we also have clients who shy away from testifying in court,” says attorney Löwenberg. Your expectations are low. Löwenberg says: “The district court, the rule of law will not be able to do much for our clients here.”
From a legal point of view, the matter is clear. Two psychiatric reports show that the accused suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. He is therefore considered innocent at the time of the offence. This means that the current trial is not about imprisonment, but permanent placement in a closed psychiatric facility.
There is no maximum period for such accommodation. However, the district court responsible for the respective clinic may one day order the perpetrator to be released. But for that he would have to be fully treated.
Accused already in treatment before crime
Above all, the coming weeks in the courtroom should be about a public reappraisal of what happened. Because question marks remain, at least in a few places. For example, in the case of supposed banalities such as the age of the accused. When he entered Europe, he stated that he was born in 1997. Later, during an interrogation, he gave 1989 as the year of birth. So he’s either 25 or 33 years old.
It is also known that the accused was under psychiatric treatment at least five times before the crime. In January 2021, a Würzburg hospital suggested an expert opinion to clarify whether the man was in need of permanent care. But the District Court of Würzburg dropped the case.
Investigators rule out Islamist motive
However, the question of a possible Islamist motive has been largely clarified. Investigators found no evidence of extremist radicalization. To do this, they evaluated mobile phones, questioned those around them, and searched the suspect’s room.
In the Islamist scene, too, only individual media exploited the crime, for example the online magazine “Wolves of Manhattan”. The terrorism researcher Peter Neumann speaks of “one or two other mentions” that he and his team would have registered: “But that was not like after the attacks in Brussels or Paris.” The Islamist scene glorified the attacks there for several weeks in videos and articles, according to Neumann.
Würzburger show great compassion
In this case, however, coming to terms with June 25, 2021 also means dealing with the crime among those who were initially uninvolved. A few days after the crime, hundreds of people formed a human chain. The sympathy was great. The day has burned itself into the collective memory of the people of Würzburg. Mayor Christian Schuchardt (CDU) says: “A city society like ours is following the process. We want to know how this could happen?”
Schuchardt visited one of the victims six weeks ago: “We try to be unobtrusive, if there are requests for help, we’ll be there.” Various organizations collected for the victims. The “Würzburg Shows Heart” association alone received donations totaling 350,000 euros. The city of Würzburg also wants to create a memorial. There will be a memorial service on the anniversary on June 25, 2022. The Police Orchestra of Bavaria plays a concert on this day.
Eyewitness must testify in the process
By then, eyewitness Elvis Dick will have testified in the upcoming trial. He is scheduled to appear in court at the end of May. “I don’t think there is anything in the world that would justly punish what he did,” said the 20-year-old. Should the attacker one day walk free, Elvis Dick would have a queasy feeling.