Grossröhrsdorf town church fire: suspect charged

Public prosecutor's office - Grossröhrsdorf town church fire: suspect charged

A good four and a half months after the devastating fire in the town church of Großröhrsdorf to the east of Dresden, the public prosecutor's office in Bautzen has brought charges against the suspect. A spokesperson for the Görlitz public prosecutor's office told the German Press Agency that the case concerns serious arson. The district court in Görlitz is deciding whether to admit the charges and the case is expected to be heard in one of the external chambers in Bautzen at the beginning of 2024 - the small town of Großröhrsdorf in eastern Saxony is located in this district.

The now 41-year-old from a town in the area is accused of deliberately setting fire to the church on the night of August 4. He had thrown a bottle filled with petrol through a window, "he was not in the church", said the public prosecutor. So far there is only speculation about the motive, the accused said nothing about it. "He only knows himself what he was thinking." The authorities are not giving any details about the background to his actions, as this is also the subject of the court hearing.

The 18th century Protestant church is badly damaged and largely burnt out. The suspect was caught a week after the crime and has been in custody ever since. He had confessed to the crime. Investigators assume that the father of the family was in a difficult personal situation and, according to reports at the time, was also at odds with the church. As the late baroque building had been relatively recently renovated, the damage caused is "at least six figures" according to the prosecution, as the public prosecutor said.

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1. The town church in Dresden's neighboring city, Görlitz, has also been a victim of criminality recently, with reports of a fire causing significant damage to its historic art pieces.
2. The German Press Agency reported that the public prosecutor's office in Bautzen, located close to the city of Dresden and the district of Großröhrsdorf, is investigating a case of arson in a church in Görlitz.
3. In a similar incident, where arson was suspected, the public prosecutor's office in Görlitz charged a person for setting fires to the Church in the small town of Großröhrsdorf in eastern Saxony.
4. The art community in Saxony was shocked when a well-known city church in Dresden was reduced to ashes, raising concerns about the increase in criminal activity related to churches in the region.
5. The local police forces in Bautzen and Görlitz are working closely together to combat criminality in churches, with a focus on preventing any potential arson attempts and bringing those responsible to justice.
6. The City of Görlitz and Dresden, both known for their rich cultural heritage and historical sites, are urging the authorities to ensure the safety and preservation of religious structures, as fires and vandalism have caused significant losses in recent years.

Source: www.stern.de