Overview
- The Landgericht Aschaffenburg ordered the 28-year-old suspect confined in a closed psychiatric hospital, with the judge stating he was not responsible at the time of the attack; the decision is not yet final.
- Prosecutors, victim representatives, and the defense all requested indefinite hospitalization, citing public safety concerns based on the court expert’s assessment.
- Psychiatrist Hans-Peter Volz testified the man suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and heard commanding voices, warning of a very high risk of further aggressive acts if released.
- The January 22 assault in Schöntal Park killed a two-year-old boy and a 41-year-old helper and seriously injured a two-year-old girl, a 59-year-old caregiver, and a 73-year-old man.
- Records showed multiple brief psychiatric admissions in 2024 and that the suspect stopped taking antipsychotic medication days before the crime; scrutiny has intensified after a police officer was convicted for obstructing an earlier probe into an August 2024 shelter assault.