Process - Knife attack on schoolgirls: Accused confesses
Two girls narrowly survived the knife attack in a school playground in Berlin-Neukölln. Around seven months later, the trial against the accused began on Tuesday with a confession. The 39-year-old's lawyer explained to the Berlin district court that he was immensely sorry and apologized. A mental illness had been the trigger for the attack.
The public prosecutor's office is seeking the permanent placement of the accused in a psychiatric hospital in the proceedings for attempted manslaughter on two counts. He is said to have been in a psychotic state at the time of the incident on May 3 of this year.
It was 3.10 p.m. when the German entered the grounds of a school on Mainzer Straße, according to the public prosecutor's office. He attacked two children, who were sitting on a wooden platform and playing, one after the other with intent to kill by stabbing them several times with a kitchen knife, including in the neck area. Both girls were seriously injured and were saved by emergency surgery. The eight-year-old girl, who suffered a stab about ten centimetres deep in her neck, was taken to hospital by a rescue helicopter.
Around 30 pupils are said to have been in the playground at the time of the attack. Two girls had run to their classmates who had been attacked. They pulled the accused away from the injured children, according to the public prosecutor's office. The man let go of the victims at that moment, but remained at the scene of the crime.
The alleged perpetrator allowed himself to be arrested without resistance, a police officer described as a witness in the trial. He had already said at the time that he had heard inner voices "blackmailing" him and "ordering" him to kill the two girls. In the days that followed, psychologists looked after pupils, educators, teachers and parents.
The accused is said not to have known the two victims. The defense lawyer went on to explain that her client was shocked that the crime had occurred. He was glad that the girls had survived. However, he only remembered fragments of the attack. Since the crime, he has been in what is known as the "Maßregelvollzug". He is being helped there. He has been hearing inner voices for ten years. He had not sought psychiatric help because he was "ashamed". He had been using drugs for years.
The two girls are now well again, it was said on the sidelines of the trial. They will be spared questioning during the trial. Their statements in the preliminary proceedings had been recorded and could now be played back. Seven more days have been scheduled for the trial so far. The trial will continue on December 14.
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- The knife attack in Berlin-Neukölln, which resulted in two schoolgirls being seriously injured, has sparked concerns about increasing criminality in schools.
- The public prosecutor's office is monitoring the progress of the accused in the psychiatric hospital, ensuring that proper processes are followed throughout his treatment for attempted manslaughter.
- Despite the traumatic incident, the two survivors have returned to their schools, showing resilience and strength in the face of this act of violence.
Source: www.stern.de
