Ulm
Arson attack on synagogue – confession to psychiatrist
A man sits handcuffed in the dock in the regional court. photo
© Stefan Puchner/dpa
A fire was set on the wall of the Ulm synagogue in 2021, and the act caused a stir nationwide. The prosecution suspects anti-Semitic motives. The trial against a 47-year-old man has now begun.
The Turkish defendant did not provide any information about the crime at the start of the trial, but had previously confessed to a psychiatric expert. He reported that the man said that he wanted to draw attention to the suffering of the Palestinians in the conflict with Israel. The defendant explained that he wanted to make a statement. “If the others don’t do anything, I’ll do something myself,” he said, according to the expert.
During the fire, the flames largely went out on their own. Passers-by informed the fire department, and a police officer was able to finally put out the fire with a fire extinguisher. There were no people in the building at the time of the crime.
47-year-old is a “misguided idealist”
The man’s lawyer said the prosecution had made the charges far too high. The 47-year-old is a “misguided idealist”. He acted without political claims. Only the wall and a window were covered in soot. “There was nothing more. The approach was unsuitable for destroying a building.”
According to witnesses, the perpetrator quickly left after setting the fire. According to the psychiatrist, he drove back to his apartment and thought he would soon be arrested by the police.
After the crime, the man was publicly searched for with pictures. According to the Stuttgart public prosecutor’s office, he initially fled to Türkiye. Because Germany, like Germany, does not extradite its own citizens, the investigators’ legal means of prosecution were initially exhausted. But when the suspect re-entered Germany via Stuttgart Airport at the beginning of July 2023, he was arrested. He has been in custody ever since.