Bad Oeynhausen - Investigators seek witnesses after fatal attack
After the fatal attack on a 20-year-old in the Kurpark of Bad Oeynhausen, the police are still looking for witnesses of the crime. The investigation is "running high," a spokesperson for the Bielefeld Police stated in response to an inquiry. The police are once again calling on witnesses to provide photos and videos that may contain potential clues about the crime. They can report to any police station or to the Bielefeld Police, the spokesperson added.
An 18-year-old suspect is in custody. He has not yet made any statements regarding the charges of manslaughter and grievous bodily harm, the police and prosecutor's office announced on Thursday.
According to initial investigations, the violence against the victim came solely from the 18-year-old, who, according to a police statement, is a Syrian national and resides in Bad Oeynhausen. He has previously been noted for violent, property, and drug-related offenses.
The suspect was known to the authorities
The suspect had come to Germany in 2016 as part of a family reunification and had initially lived in Pforzheim before moving to Bad Oeynhausen the previous year, according to the "Bild" newspaper, citing the responsible prosecutor Christoph Mackel. He was known to the authorities but had not been convicted before. "There were investigative proceedings against him, but they never led to a conviction," Mackel told "Bild."
At least three other Germans aged 18 are part of the suspect's group, according to the police. The number of people involved in the crime and what other offenses may have occurred is part of the ongoing investigation. It has also not been definitively determined what the background and trigger of the fight were.
The autopsy of the 20-year-old confirmed the initial assumptions that he was severely beaten with several blows and kicks to the head, resulting in his later death in the hospital.
The attack on the 20-year-old and his 19-year-old companion occurred in the early hours of Sunday night. In the city center, there was a graduation party and an inner-city party that evening. According to a city spokesperson, it was very crowded at the time of the incident.
Violent crime sparks political debate
The violent crime in the eastern Westphalian Bad Oeynhausen fueled the political debate on the deportation of serious criminals to countries like Afghanistan or Syria. North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister-President Hendrik Wüst (CDU) said: "This perpetrator must be brought to justice." Germany needs "to get better at deporting such intensive criminals, violent criminals who are not German citizens."
The deputy SPD Bundestag faction leader Dirk Wiese told the "Welt" newspaper: "The perpetrator must be held accountable for this under the full force of the law."
Press release from the Prosecutor's Office and Police Press release 4. Communication from the Police and Prosecutor's Office
- The incident occurred in Bad Oeynhausen, which is located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
- Witnesses are urged to provide any relevant photos or videos to the Bielefeld Police or any local station, as they continue their investigation into the act of violence at the Spa Park.
- Despite being in custody, the Syrian national suspect, aged 18, has yet to provide any statements regarding the charges of manslaughter and grievous bodily harm.
- The public prosecutor's office in Germany is involved in the investigation, as the suspect was previously known to the authorities but had never been convicted for any crime.
- The police are also looking into the involvement of at least three other Germans who are believed to be part of the suspect's group.
