Crime - "Aktenzeichen XY" leads to arrests after brutal attack
After a post in ZDF-show "Aktenzeichen XY... ungelöst," two suspects in a brutal attack on a homeless woman in Cologne were arrested about two years later. The successful investigation of the Cologne police was announced by moderator Rudi Cerne on a Wednesday in the "Aktenzeichen XY... Update" segment.
The suspects were reportedly a 17- and a 20-year-old, who were already known to the police. They could have been arrested a week after the show's broadcast, and both were in custody, Cerne said. The police had asked viewers in the April edition of the show for help in the search for two men.
"A decisive call came in during the show," Cerne explained. "In the following days, the Kripo received more and more tips, all pointing to the same suspects. Within a few days, both suspects were identified, and an arrest warrant was issued." The police could not provide further details about the case and the arrests upon request.
Brutal Attack in August 2022
A 46-year-old homeless woman was assaulted and seriously injured by two young men at the end of August 2022. The attackers beat the victim with a large object, possibly a dark-painted roofing tile, and stole her handbag. Before the attack, the woman had gotten off a bus and bought something to eat at a kiosk. She had attracted the attention of the men, who followed her.
The attack occurred outside the field of view of a surveillance camera. The police discovered, upon reviewing the cameras, that one of the attackers had previously been involved in a loud altercation with another woman. A neighbor intervened in the dispute, but when the police arrived, the attackers had disappeared.
- During the investigation, the Cologne police referenced the file number XY associated with the brutal attack on the woman from North Rhine-Westphalia.
- The suspects in the case, both men, had a history with the police in North Rhine-Westphalia's jurisdiction before their arrest in relation to the Cologne crime.
- After their arrest, the two suspects were taken to the police station in Cologne for further questioning and investigation regarding the attack on the woman in North Rhine-Westphalia.
