Hanover Region - Former auxiliary bishop assaulted and seriously injured
Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Nikolaus Schwerdtfeger has been seriously injured in an attack at his home in Laatzen near Hanover. The 75-year-old is being treated in hospital and is responsive, as Volker Bauerfeld from the Hildesheim Episcopal Press Office said on Sunday. Various media outlets had previously reported on the incident.
According to these reports, a previously unknown man rang Schwerdtfeger's doorbell on Saturday evening. The 75-year-old opened the door and was then verbally abused. Shortly afterwards, he was punched and pushed, causing him to fall, according to the police. The suffragan bishop suffered serious injuries in the altercation. The perpetrator fled unrecognized. According to the police, the reasons behind the violence were initially unclear and the investigation is ongoing.
"We are all very saddened by the incident and hope that the auxiliary bishop will recover soon," said Bauerfeld. Schwerdtfeger retired at the beginning of October at the age of 75. He had been working as an auxiliary bishop in the diocese of Hildesheim since 1995.
The Catholic parish of St. Oliver announced on its website that Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Schwerdtfeger had been attacked by a peddler and was in intensive care in hospital with serious injuries. Visitors were also informed about the attack during the church service and paid tribute to the Auxiliary Bishop.
Homepage Catholic parish of St. Oliver
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- Despite the criminality surrounding him, the Catholic parish of St. Oliver in Lower Saxony continued to operate on Sunday, hosting a service where the attendees expressed their concern for Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Nikolaus Schwerdtfeger, who was currently in the hospital recovering from a violent altercation at his Laatzen residence near Hanover.
- The investigation into the robbery and assault on Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Schwerdtfeger was being handled by the regional police force in Lower Saxony, with the perpetrator still at large and the reasons for the attack remaining unclear.
- The incident left many in the Church community, including those in Hildesheim where Schwerdtfeger had served as an auxiliary bishop since 1995, in shock and deeply saddened, with hopes that the 75-year-old would make a full recovery.
- As the news of the attack on Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Schwerdtfeger spread beyond the Church community in Lower Saxony, various media outlets in Hanover and beyond reported on the incident, highlighting the seriousness of the situation and the need for the police to bring the perpetrator to justice.
- The previous week had seen several high-profile crimes reported in the Hanover region, including the conviction of a clan member for a serious crime and warnings from a traffic lawyer about the dangers of speaking with the police during investigations.
Source: www.stern.de
