Contradictory statements about the fatal attack on a 20-year-old
The case is causing widespread concern throughout the country. In Bad Oeynhausen, a 20-year-old man died after a brutal attack. A known Syrian is suspected of the fatal assault. Politicians are calling for a different approach to handling criminal migrants. However, many questions about the incident remain open.
In the case of the fatal attack on a 20-year-old man in the Kurpark of Bad Oeynhausen, investigations are continuing into the perpetration, motive, and background of the crime. The 18-year-old suspect, who is in custody on charges of manslaughter and grievous bodily harm, had not previously known his alleged victim, according to the Bielefeld public prosecutor Christoph Mackel. The case has caused widespread shock and mourning. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser expressed her shock in Berlin. "This is really very, very terrible," she said. Her condolences go to the victim's parents. The young man had died in hospital a few days after the attack.
According to current knowledge, the victim was sitting on a park bench with companions in the early hours of the previous Sunday night, and the suspect was sitting nearby with at least two companions. He reportedly attacked the victim without provocation. The victim tried to flee, fell to the ground, and the suspect hit and kicked him on the head. The motive is unclear.
Several witnesses, who were in the vicinity of the scene, have reported to the investigators, as Mackel reported. It is still open whether there are further suspects - and how many there might be. Initially, the police and prosecutor's office had spoken of a group of about ten people they were looking for as suspects. Several companions of the 18-year-old Syrian - young Germans - have since been questioned, they will not be charged as suspects but as witnesses, the prosecutor said. They reported that the 18-year-old had committed the attack alone.
Overall, the investigators see many open questions in this case, despite conflicting statements. A murder commission is currently evaluating further witness statements and is asking for tips from the public.
"Failure of our rule of law"
The brutal attack is "a tragic example of the failure of our rule of law in dealing with known criminal migrants," criticized the interior political spokesman of the FDP state parliamentary group Marc Lürbke. "It is absolutely unacceptable that a conspicuous criminal offender is still roaming free and can commit such a crime." The suspect had previously attracted attention through violent, property, and drug offenses, the investigators had reported on Thursday. However, the 18-year-old was not previously convicted.
Nordrhin-Westfalia's Minister-President Hendrik Wüst stated on a Thursday: "This perpetrator must be subjected to a just punishment." Germany needs to "better deal with such intensive offenders, violent offenders, who are not German citizens." Interior Minister Herbert Reul pointed out on a Friday in Neuss that the case also raises some "thick questions." For instance, why is violence "on such a march" and how can it be curbed. And: "What can be done so that young people no longer grow up believing they can solve conflicts with their fist or with a knife," Reul said during a visit to a security center for the European Football Championship manned by international police.
Information about the suspect is still preliminary
For the investigations and the criminal proceedings of the case, the origin of the suspect is irrelevant, emphasized Christoph Mackel. The public prosecutor's office does not have the Alien File on the suspect, therefore he can only make statements about the person under reservation. The 18-year-old remained silent about the accusations.
According to the investigations, the Syrian man is said to have come to Bad Oeynhausen in October 2023. He is reported to have come to Germany in 2016 as part of a family reunification with parents and siblings and initially lived in Pforzheim before moving to Bad Oeynhausen. According to "Westfalen-Blatt" (WB), the 18-year-old and his family lived there as tolerated refugees in an apartment - without state benefits, as the paper reported, citing the city. A defense lawyer, who took over the defense of the 18-year-old, told the WB that he in no way considers it proven that his client was the main suspect.
The international community is closely following the developments in this case, given its serious nature and potential implications for justice and safety. To ensure a fair trial, it's crucial that the investigation into the 18-year-old suspect, suspected of murder and grievous bodily harm, proceeds diligently, regardless of his origin or previous criminal history.
