Ulm - Arson attack on synagogue - confession to psychiatrist
The arson attack on the synagogue in Ulm caused a nationwide sensation two and a half years ago: Since Thursday, a 47-year-old man has been on trial for attempted aggravated arson and damage to property at the district court in the city in Baden-Württemberg. The public prosecutor said that the accused had spilled one and a half to two liters of petrol on the southern wall of the synagogue 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. No one was injured, but property damage amounting to several thousand euros was caused.
The Turkish defendant did not give any details about the crime at the start of the trial, but had previously confessed to the psychiatric expert. The latter reported that the man had said that he wanted to draw attention to the suffering of the Palestinians in the conflict with Israel. The accused had explained that he wanted to set an example. "If the others don't do anything, I'll do something myself," he said, according to the expert witness.
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 extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. There were no people in the building at the time.
47-year-old is a "misguided idealist"
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 political aspirations. Only the wall and a window had been sooted. "That was all. The action 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.
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.
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- The public prosecutor's office in Baden-Württemberg is currently handling the trial of a 47-year-old man accused of attempting aggravated arson and damage to property at a synagogue in Ulm, with alleged anti-Semitic motives.
- During the trial, it was revealed that the accused confessed his actions to a psychiatrist, stating that he wanted to draw attention to the suffering of the Palestinians in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
- The confession to the psychiatrist suggested that the man viewed himself as a "misguided idealist," acting without political aspirations but hoping to set an example.
- The arson attack on the synagogue caused property damage, estimated in the thousands of euros, but no physical injuries were reported.
- The public prosecutor's office in Stuttgart had initially struggled to extradite the suspect from Turkey, due to Turkey's policy of not extraditing its own citizens. However, the suspect was later arrested upon his return to Germany.
Source: www.stern.de
