Bad Oeynhausen - Main suspect in custody after fatal attack
After the fatal attack on a 20-year-old in the Kurpark of Bad Oeynhausen, a suspect is in custody for questioning. The 18-year-old has not yet made any statements regarding the charges of manslaughter and grievous bodily harm, according to a joint statement from the police and prosecutor's office on Thursday.
According to initial investigations, the violence against the victim was solely instigated by the 20-year-old, who is a Syrian citizen and resides in Bad Oeynhausen. He has previously been known to authorities for violent, property, and drug-related offenses.
At least three other Germans aged 18 are also part of the suspect group. The number of people involved in the incident and what other crimes may have occurred are part of the ongoing investigation, according to the investigating authorities. It has not yet been definitively determined what the cause and trigger of the fight were.
The autopsy of the 20-year-old confirmed the initial assumptions that he was severely injured by 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 late Sunday night. The police are still calling for witnesses to come forward with photos and videos that may contain evidence related to the crime. There was a graduation party and an inner-city party in the city center that evening. According to a city spokesperson, it was very crowded at the time of the incident.
Following the fatal attack, there is a great deal of shock in the city. People laid numerous flowers at the scene. On Wednesday evening, around 650 people attended a silent memorial service. Mayor Lars Bökenkroger (CDU) had called for this.
"I am pleased that 650 people from Bad Oeynhausen and the surrounding area followed my call for a silent memorial for the slain 20-year-old Philip from Minden, and we were able to set a sign of solidarity and humanity in the face of grief," Bökenkroger told the German Press Agency.
"Given the arrest of an 18-year-old main suspect with a migration background, we now need to have an open and honest discussion about the consequences of this incident," said the mayor. This is a task primarily for federal and state politics, but also for the entire society.
Press release from the prosecutor's office and police Press release number 4 from the police and prosecutor's office
- The suspect in pre-trial detention for the Bodily injury and grievous bodily harm charges in North Rhine-Westphalia's Bad Oeynhausen, committed these acts during a prom night incident at the Spa Park.
- The crime investigation in Bad Oeynhausen includes assessing whether any other bad deeds were carried out beyond the fatal attack, implicating multiple suspects, including three Germans and the main suspect with a migration background.
- In response to the attack, the police are urging potential witnesses, who were present during the graduation party and city center events on Sunday night, to share any photos or videos that may contain pertinent evidence related to the crime.
- Despite the provocative nature of this crime, a public prosecutor's office press release urges the community to engage in an open and honest dialogue about the incident's implications, leaving space for federal, state, and societal discussions.
