Extremism - Arson attack on synagogue: confession to psychiatrist
The arson attack on the synagogue in Ulm over two years ago caused a nationwide stir: now a 47-year-old man has been on trial at the regional court since Thursday for attempted aggravated arson in conjunction with criminal damage to property. The public prosecutor said that the accused spilled one and a half to two liters of petrol on the southern wall of the building over several meters in June 2021 for allegedly anti-Semitic motives and then set fire to it with a lighter. The aim was for the fire to engulf significant parts of the synagogue.
The flames briefly reached a height of up to two meters. They largely died out on their own. Passers-by informed the fire department. A police officer was able to finally extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. There were no people in the building at the time. Four burn marks appeared on the façade and soot contaminated the "Israel window" of the synagogue, the public prosecutor added. Property damage amounting to several thousand euros was caused.
The Turkish defendant made no statements about the crime in court at the start of the trial. However, he had given a detailed account of the allegations to the psychiatric expert beforehand. The expert reported that the accused had stated that he wanted to draw attention to the suffering of the Palestinians in the conflict with Israel. He had particularly had the suffering of the children in mind. The accused explained that he wanted to set an example. "If the others don't do anything, I'll do something myself," the accused is said to have said according to the expert witness.
The man's lawyer said that the prosecution had set the charges far too high. The 47-year-old was a "misguided idealist". He had acted without any political aspirations. Only the wall and a window had been sooted. "That was all. The action was unsuitable to destroy a building." The accusation of attempted aggravated arson is absurd.
The crime was witnessed by eyewitnesses. An elderly gentleman, who was sitting in his car during the alleged arson attack, wondered about the wet stains on the wall of the building. At first, he thought it was the work of wild peckers. Only later did he see the flames. Another senior citizen reported that the fire started by itself. The incident occurred on a Saturday shortly after 8.00 am. According to the witnesses, the alleged perpetrator quickly left after setting the fire. According to the psychiatrist, he then drove back to his apartment, thinking he would soon be arrested by the police.
The man was publicly searched for with pictures after the crime. According to the Stuttgart public prosecutor's office, he had initially fled to Turkey. Because Turkey, like Germany, does not extradite its own citizens, the investigators' legal means of prosecution were initially exhausted. However, 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. According to the investigators, he lived in Ulm before the crime. Four hearings have been scheduled for the trial and a verdict could be reached at the end of January.
Politicians had condemned the attack and announced better protection for Jewish institutions. Minister President Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) had condemned the attack as "despicable".
In the course of the war in the Gaza Strip, there had also been an increase in anti-Israeli rallies in Germany in recent weeks. Baden-Württemberg's anti-Semitism commissioner Michael Blume said: "Hamas is deliberately emotionalizing and polarizing the free world with its terror propaganda, appealing to deep-seated anti-Semitism." He was grateful that their calls for violence had so far failed in Baden-Württemberg, but advised continued vigilance and a clear stance against hatred and incitement.
Statement from the public prosecutor's office
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- The arson attack on the synagogue in Ulm, located in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, caused severe damage to the property, with four burn marks appearing on the façade and soot contaminating the "Israel window."
- During the trial, it was revealed that the accused had confessed to the public prosecutor's office that he had intended to draw attention to the suffering of Palestinians in the conflict with Israel.
- The defense argued that the charges against the 47-year-old man were excessive, as he was a "misguided idealist" who had acted without any political aspirations.
- The fire department was alerted to the incident by passersby, who noticed flames on the synagogue's southern wall and reported it to the authorities.
- The accused had initially fled to Turkey after the arson attack, but was later arrested upon re-entering Germany due to his ties to Ulm.
- In the aftermath of the attack, politicians and anti-Semitism commissioners expressed concern over the increasing extremism and anti-Semitic sentiments in Germany, with some calling for better protection of Jewish institutions.
- The arson attack on the synagogue in Ulm is just one example of the ongoing tension between Germany and Israel, with anti-Israeli rallies and calls for violence becoming more common in recent weeks.
Source: www.stern.de
