Attempted Escape - Hospital regrets mistakes in releasing a convicted felon
After a criminal escaped briefly during a day pass in Plattling, Lower Bavaria, the district hospital in Deggendorf regrets the mistakes made. The 24-year-old, convicted of manslaughter, had escaped during a cinema visit last Thursday. "The absence of a male escort and thus the lack of accompaniment during the toilet break was, in hindsight, the main error in the planning," said Chief Physician Johannes Schwerdtner. All processes in the clinic are being reviewed to prevent such errors in the future.
Clinic: Inaccurate Danger Assessment
A second error was "an overly high and thus incorrect danger assessment reported to the police," said Schwerdtner. The police had classified the fugitive as "extremely dangerous," after clinic staff had incorrectly reported this. This assessment led to great uncertainty among the population, said the chief physician of the forensic psychiatry and psychotherapy clinic in Mainkofen. "Our highest goal is always to ensure the safety of the population within the framework of our legal mandate." He deeply regrets that the security feeling of the citizens has been compromised by errors in the planning. "We are working intensively to improve the conditions for loosening measures."
No further relaxations for the 24-year-old
The Somalian was apprehended and returned to the clinic about eight hours after his escape. The police searched for him with a large deployment of officers, a helicopter, a drone, and a dog handler. There will be no further relaxations for the 24-year-old for the time being.
However, the responsible persons still consider the decision to grant accompanied day leave last week to be fundamentally correct, a spokesperson for the district of Lower Bavaria said. At that time, there was no danger to the population. Although the man had attempted to escape unsuccessfully about three years ago, his treatment has been positive since then.
Man sentenced to psychiatric hospital for manslaughter
In 2022, the man was sentenced to detention in a psychiatric hospital by the Deggendorf Regional Court for manslaughter. He had killed a fellow resident with at least 111 stab wounds and beheaded the body in July 2021. According to district statements, loosening measures have been granted since 2023 due to a successful therapy course up to that point. The goal of the treatment is reintegration into society and everyday life.
The police were informed of the fugitive's "extremely dangerous" status due to the clinic's incorrect risk assessment. This heightened the public's concern and uncertainty.
Incorrectly categorizing the 24-year-old as "extremely dangerous" by the clinic led to an intensified police response.
