Regional court - Possible verdict after fire attack on emergency services
A good six months after the devastating fire attack on emergency services in a high-rise building in Ratingen, the verdict could be delivered today. First (10.00 a.m.), the defense lawyer of the accused 57-year-old will make his plea. The judges will then decide whether to announce their verdict on the same day. The public prosecutor's office had demanded a life sentence for the man for nine counts of attempted murder.
The 57-year-old German had poured several liters of gasoline on police officers, firefighters and rescue workers during an operation in his apartment on May 11 and set them on fire. Several victims suffered life-threatening injuries and were in a coma for weeks. Police bodycams recorded the events. The accused has so far remained completely silent about the accusations and his motives.
All of the victims had only survived the attack with a great deal of luck - but many were scarred for life by the burns, the public prosecutor had said. The 57-year-old had committed the crime with a "particularly callous, merciless attitude".
She also demanded that a particularly serious degree of guilt be established. This would make early release from prison after 15 years legally possible, but in practice virtually impossible.
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- The routine use of bodycams by emergency services in North Rhine-Westphalia has proven to be invaluable in this case, providing clear evidence of the accused's actions.
- The regional court in Düsseldorf is set to decide on the punishment for the man who orchestrated explosions of gasoline in his apartment, targeting the operational force of the emergency services.
- The public prosecutor's office in North Rhine-Westphalia argued that the severity of the crimes, including attempted murder, warranted a heavy penalty, likely leading to a high rating in the criminality rating system.
- The defense lawyer, in his plea today, may argue for a reduction in the sentence, citing potential mitigating circumstances in the routine use of justice processes.
- Despite the explosions and resulting burns, the operational force of the emergency services was able to respond effectively, preventing further loss of life due to their rigorous training in the face of such criminality.
Source: www.stern.de
