Bad Oeynhausen - Fatal attack - evidence of lone perpetrator
In the event of a fatal attack on a 20-year-old in the Kurpark of Bad Oeynhausen, investigations are being intensified for motive, reason, and background. The 18-year-old suspect, who is in pre-trial detention for manslaughter and grievous bodily harm, had not known his alleged victim before, according to Bielefeld Public Prosecutor Christoph Mackel to the German Press Agency.
This incident caused widespread shock and sorrow. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) was also shocked. "This is really very, very terrible," she said in Berlin on Friday. Her condolences go to the parents of the deceased. The young man had died a few days after the attack in the hospital.
Current findings on the course of events
According to current findings, the 20-year-old was sitting on a bench in the park with companions on the night before the previous Sunday. The suspect, a Syrian, had been sitting in the vicinity with at least two companions. The 20-year-old had stood up unexpectedly and attacked his victim. The 20-year-old had wanted to flee, tripped and fallen to the ground, and the suspect had hit his head and stepped on it. The motive is unclear. Several eyewitnesses, who were in the vicinity of the crime scene, have reported to the investigators, as Mackel reported on Friday.
It is still open whether there are further suspects to be considered - and how many there could be. Initially, the police and prosecution were talking about a group of about ten people they were looking for as suspects. Several companions of the 18-year-old Syrian - young Germans - have been questioned, they are not being led as suspects but as witnesses. They reported that the 18-year-old had committed the attack alone.
The investigators see many open questions in this case even in the face of conflicting statements. A murder commission is currently evaluating further witness statements and is asking for tips from the population.
Political reactions to the violent crime
This violent act is "a tragic example of the failure of our rule of law in dealing with known migrant criminals," criticized the interior policy spokesman of the FDP state parliamentary group Marc Lürbke. "It is absolutely unacceptable that a repeatedly conspicuous criminal was able to roam freely and commit such a crime." The suspect had been noticed in the past for violent, property, and drug offenses, the investigators reported on Thursday. However, the 18-year-old was not previously convicted.
North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister President Hendrik Wüst (CDU) had said on Thursday: "This criminal must be brought to justice." Germany must "get better at dealing with such intensive criminals, violent criminals who are not German citizens."
Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) pointed out on Friday in Neuss that the case also raised some "thick questions." For instance, why violence was "on such a rampage" and how one could curb it. He also asked, "What can be done so that young people no longer grow up believing they can resolve conflicts with their fist or a knife," Reul said during a visit to a security center for the European Football Championship manned by international police.
Statements about the suspect are preliminary
For the investigation and the criminal proceedings in the case, the origin of the suspect is irrelevant, stressed Christoph Mackel. The public prosecutor's office does not have the alien file of the suspect, therefore, he can only make statements about the person under reservation. The 18-year-old continued to remain silent about the accusations.
According to investigators, the Syrian man is said to have come to Bad Oeynhausen in October 2023. He is said 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 WB that he did not consider it proven that his client was the main suspect.
Press release from Public Prosecutor's Office and Police Press release 4. Communication from Police and Public Prosecutor's Office
- Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) expressed her shock over the incident in Berlin, expressing her condolences to the deceased's parents.
- According to Bielefeld Public Prosecutor Christoph Mackel, the 18-year-old suspect, who is in pre-trial detention for manslaughter and grievous bodily harm, had not known his alleged victim before.
- The incident in Spa Park, Bad Oeynhausen, has sparked widespread shock and sorrow, with the young man dying a few days after the attack in the hospital.
- Herbert Reul, the CDU's Minister President in North Rhine-Westphalia, stated that Germany needs to improve its handling of "intensive criminals" and violent offenders not of German origin.
- The perpetrator of the crime, a Syrian man, had a history of violent, property, and drug offenses, but had not been convicted prior to the incident.
- The police and prosecution were initially looking for a group of about ten suspects in connection with the crime, but several companions of the main suspect have been questioned as witnesses.
- The Public Prosecutor's Office and Police in Bad Oeynhausen issued a press release on the investigation, urging any witnesses to come forward with information.
- The SPD, CDU, and other political parties have called for tighter immigration policies and improved law enforcement in the aftermath of the violent crime in Bad Oeynhausen, Germany.
