Admin I Saturday, October 18, 2024
BERLIN – A 75-year-old man is to be permanently admitted to a psychiatric hospital after attacking the former mayor of Berlin, a court in the German capital said on Friday.
The man was charged with dangerous bodily harm after assaulting Franziska Giffey in a library in south-eastern Berlin in May.
The defence had argued he could not be held responsible for his actions due to mental impairment, but prosecutors said he remained at risk of committing further crimes.
The Berlin Regional Court’s decision can still be appealed.
The man admitted in court to having hit Giffey “around the ears” with a shopping bag containing newspapers, saying he wanted to “teach her a lesson” after she did not reply to his letters over a 20-year period.
He was apprehended shortly after the attack and has since been temporarily held at a psychiatric facility.
He was previously known to authorities due to numerous offences, which were dropped due to his diminished responsibility.
Giffey, who was mayor between 2021 and 2023, is now the city’s top economic official.
