Individual perpetrates stabbings on four-year-old, requires psychiatric evaluation.
In a grocery store, an unprovoked attack occurred six months ago, targeting a young girl aged four. A 35-year-old offender wielding a knife brought severe harm upon the innocent girl. However, the swift actions of her mother potentially saved her life. Recently, the Ravensburg Regional Court announced its judgment against the attacker.
The accused has been ordered to be involuntarily committed to a psychiatric facility, with the duration being indefinite. The court ruled that the man attacked the girl in a deadly manner, and analyzing the incident, they found it to be an attempted murder. Due to the man's mental illness, he was declared not guilty under the law.
Initially, the man admitted to the attack at the beginning of the trial in October. He claimed to have acted on a "divine impulse." Despite the horrifying motive, he continued to insist on this as the reason for his actions, even at the end of the trial.
An expert diagnosed the man, who had sought refuge in Europe years earlier, with paranoid schizophrenia. Both the prosecution, defense, and the victim's family agreed on the man's indefinite commitment to a mental health facility. The court's decision was endorsed by all parties present.
The investigation revealed that the attack emerged suddenly by the use of a black kitchen knife. As a consequence, the young girl suffered multiple puncture wounds to her abdomen. She received medical attention immediately followed by an emergency surgery, which was vital to her survival. The attacker and the victim were total strangers to each other. The girl was accompanied by her mother, who testified with tears in her eyes.
Mother rushes daughter to the emergency room
Addressing the court, the presiding judge stated, "The details of this case are undeniably clear, and yet the event cannot be judged by rational measures. Given the nature of this horrific event, it is challenging for even experienced judges to remain impartial and objective."
"This is an extremely exceptional case, even for us," the judge emphasized. "Judges cannot, and should not, suppress emotions in dealing with such unfathomable incidents. The thought of bringing a four-year-old child to do some quick errands at a grocery store, only to have a life-saving act in response to an unprovoked attack, and not knowing for hours whether it will be enough - it's every parent's worst nightmare."
The judge also warned against using this event for political purposes, reiterating that mental illness affects anyone. Moments later, the mother herself drove her daughter to the emergency room and informed a cashier about the shocking event as they left the supermarket.
According to the court, the girl went into shock soon after the attack, uttering only "Mami" before collapsing. The mother bravely attempted to disarm the attacker, but a fellow customer subsequently saved her by disarming him. Minutes later, the suspect was taken into custody. Subsequently, he was committed to a psychiatric facility, where he will remain indefinitely.
The Ravensburg Regional Court outlined the man's actions as an attempted murder, leading to severe judgments against him. Due to his mental illness, the court ruled that he was not fully accountable for his actions.
