Twelve-year incarceration handed out for sensational abduction of child at Hamburg airport.
In the midst of a heated child custody dispute, a man, allegedly taking matters into his own hands, kidnaps his daughter from his ex's apartment in Stade, Lower Saxony, on the night of November 4th. He then drives off with his child to Hamburg Airport, armed with a pistol, firebombs, and a car brimming with adrenaline.
Upon arrival, he rams through the airport gate and races onto the runway, causing a commotion with his erratic behavior and distress call. Claiming to have bombs on his person, he throws two flaming Molotov cocktails and fires gunshots into the sky. The chaos that ensues results in the temporary shutdown of the airport, triggering a lengthy standoff with special forces.
The man eventually surrenders after approximately 18 hours, ensuring the safety of his daughter. During his arrest, authorities find an intricate homemade bomb belt, a knife, and other suspicious items on him.
The prosecutor claimed in court that the man, in an attempt to escape with his daughter who lived with her mother in Germany, planned to fly to Turkey unobstructed. It was alleged that he had previously smuggled his child to Turkey for several months before her safe return. The father had been fined for this offense in the past.
Court spokespeople stated that the man was sentenced not only for depriving the child but also for breaching weapons laws. The court recognized the substantial implications this incident had on the mother and child as well as the magnitude of the accused's criminal energy and the substantial damage caused to Hamburg Airport, estimated to be in the millions of euros.
However, in court, the man appeared to belittle the gravity of his actions, insisting he was in the right.
