Bad Oeynhausen - Fatal attack: evidence points to lone perpetrator
In the event of a fatal attack on a 20-year-old in the Kurpark of Bad Oeynhausen, many questions regarding the perpetrator's motive and background remain open. The 18-year-old suspect, who is in investigative detention for manslaughter and grievous bodily harm, had not known his alleged victim prior to the incident, Bielefeld Public Prosecutor Christoph Mackel told the German Press Agency. The case caused widespread shock and mourning.
According to the current state of investigation, the 20-year-old was sitting on a park bench with companions in the early hours of the previous Sunday, the suspect, a Syrian, was sitting nearby with at least two companions. The 20-year-old suddenly stood up and attacked his victim. The 20-year-old tried to flee, fell to the ground, and the suspect struck and kicked him on the head. The motive is unclear. Several eyewitnesses, who were present at the scene, have reported to the investigators.
It is open whether there are other suspects, Mackel reported on Friday. Initially, the police and prosecutor's office had spoken of a group of about ten people who were being investigated 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 reported on Friday. They stated that the 18-year-old had committed the attack alone.
For the investigations and the criminal proceedings in the case, the origin of the suspect is irrelevant, Mackel said. The public prosecutor's office does not have the alien file on the suspect, therefore, they can only make statements about the person under reservation. The Syrian is said to have come to Bad Oeynhausen in October. He came to Germany in 2016 as part of a family reunification with parents and siblings and initially lived in Pforzheim before moving to Bad Oeynhausen.
The suspect had previously come to the attention of the investigators through violent, property, and drug offenses, but had not been convicted, the investigators stated on Thursday. The 18-year-old continues to refuse the accusations, said the prosecutor. A murder commission is currently evaluating further witness statements and appeals for further tips from the population.
Press release from the Prosecutor's Office and Police 4th Press release from the Police and Prosecutor's Office
- The incident took place in the Kurpark of Bad Oeynhausen, which is located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
- The Public Prosecutor's Office in North Rhine-Westphalia, specifically in Bielefeld, is overseeing the case related to the fatal attack.
- Christoph Mackel, a public prosecutor from Bielefeld, has provided updates on the investigation to the German Press Agency.
- On Sunday, the victim was sitting in a park bench in Bad Oeynhausen's Spa Park with companions when the suspect, a Syrian man, attacked him.
- Despite the involvement of the police and several investigations, it is still unclear if there are any other suspects involved in the incident of bodily injury that led to a fatality.
