Trial for manslaughter - Jogger stabbed to death in Plänterwald - 35-year-old man confesses
After a fatal stabbing attack on a 29-year-old jogger in Berlin-Treptow's Plänterwald, the alleged perpetrator, a 35-year-old man, confessed at the beginning of the trial. He expressed deep regret for what had happened. He admitted that due to his "bad thoughts," he had attacked an unknown man. He had intended to stab someone - "irrespective of who ran in front of me." The suspect is considered mentally ill. The prosecution aims to have the German permanently committed to a psychiatric hospital in the trial before the Berlin Regional Court.
The two men had coincidentally encountered each other in the evening of November 20, 2023. According to the investigation, the 35-year-old allegedly attacked the 29-year-old around 21:20 near the Spree River's embankment, as the latter approached him. The victim sustained six deep stab wounds in the neck area and died at the scene. The graphic designer was identified as the victim. The prosecution suspects premeditated murder. However, the 35-year-old, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, was reportedly in a "state that excludes criminal responsibility" during the commission of the crime.
The jogger was an accidental victim
The 29-year-old German had been jogging after work, it was mentioned at the trial's edge. He was an "accidental victim." The 35-year-old had been mentally ill for years and had already raised concerns. He had stopped taking the prescribed medication recently.
A police officer testified in the trial that the 35-year-old had appeared at a gas station shortly after the incident and reported to the staff that he had just killed a person. Following this, the disoriented suspect led several policemen to the Plänterwald near the Treptower Park, where they found the victim's body.
The 35-year-old has been in a so-called protective custody since the crime. The trial continues on July 11.
The public prosecutor's office in Berlin is seeking to have the suspect permanently committed to a psychiatric hospital due to his involvement in the knife attack. The attack occurred near the Spree River's embankment in Berlin-Treptow's Plänterwald, where the 35-year-old allegedly attacked the jogger, resulting in manslaughter. The process in the Berlin Regional Court is currently underway to determine the suspect's criminal responsibility, considering his mental illness.
