DThe trial surrounding the shooting spree in Trier that left five dead must be reopened in parts. Following a decision by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) in Karlsruhe, the Trier Regional Court’s ruling was largely overturned due to legal errors. The BGH announced on Monday that the defendant’s appeal was upheld.
The reason: The regional court did not make legal errors in justifying its assumption that the defendant had acted in a state of significantly reduced culpability. This means that the decisions on the legal consequences must also be repealed.
During the rampage on December 1, 2020, a man raced through Trier’s pedestrian zone in his off-road vehicle and deliberately hit passers-by. Five people died in the incident, including a baby. There were also dozens of injured and traumatized people.
The perpetrator was sentenced to life in prison in August 2022 for multiple murders and multiple attempted murders before the Trier regional court. The court also noted the particular gravity of the guilt and ordered the man to be placed in a closed psychiatric hospital.
Trier’s mayor Wolfram Leibe (SPD) adjusts the ribbon on the wreath for the victims of the shooting three years ago on the memorial plaque
Source: dpa/Harald Tittel
According to the expert, the man suffers from paranoid schizophrenia with bizarre delusions – and is therefore less culpable. The trained electrician remained silent about the allegations during the year-long trial. One day after the verdict, the gunman’s defense attorney filed an appeal.