Meal.
The men who almost beat a 35-year-old to death on an Essen tram have been arrested. The victim is “relieved”.
The two men who almost beat a 35-year-old man from Essen to death on a tram were arrested by the police over the weekend. The authority reported on Saturday. A 33-year-old Pole and a 20-year-old Romanian are now in custody. She is facing a trial for attempted manslaughter.
The case had triggered nationwide horror after the ZDF program “Aktenzeichen XY” published large parts of the video material on Wednesday, January 18th, showing the two perpetrators in their violent frenzy on line 103. They beat and hit their victim again and again.
The crime happened on Saturday, September 17, 2022. Although the police immediately published a photo from the surveillance camera and the first sequences of the video, it was only three months later that “XY” had to be broadcast nationwide in order for the homicide squad in Essen’s police headquarters to be found crucial to help. After the broadcast, about 20 tips were received, it said, including “very concrete”. Just two days later, the handcuffs clicked in Essen.
Crucial information did not come from Essen
It was not possible to find out at the weekend whether the perpetrators already had a criminal record. The men were arrested in Essen; However, the key clue after the broadcast that led to the arrest of the men came from another city, police spokeswoman Sylvia Czapiewski reported on Sunday.
This allows conclusions to be drawn when answering the question that is now in the room: How could the perpetrators remain undiscovered for so long despite the first publication of photos and videos at the end of September? It is probable – but still unconfirmed – that they were in another city or possibly in disguise when they took to the streets.
Traumatic consequences for the victim, wave of helpfulness
The 35-year-old, who suffered fractures and hematomas all over his body in the act, was “relieved” after the news of the arrest became known. “Even if everything came back up immediately,” the man from Borbeck reported on the phone to our editorial team on Sunday. He had previously reported in detail about the traumatic consequences of the attack, which make normal everyday life impossible for him to this day. Because he was unable to start a promised new job as planned because of the attack, the man also reported that financial difficulties were arising, which were putting an additional strain on his situation. Despite the fact that the 35-year-old is currently experiencing a great wave of helpfulness: in short sequences on the “Instagram” portal, the man thanks him in tears for all the encouraging and solidarity-based comments and tips.
Pure coincidence that it hit him, the 35-year-old
According to the law, the perpetrators can remain in pre-trial detention for a maximum of six months. Because of the particular gravity of the crime and because of the clear evidence from the video images, it cannot be assumed that they will be released again before the trial begins.
“The background to the crime,” the police reported at the weekend, “is still the subject of the investigation.” According to the 35-year-old, he is a completely random victim. He had cursed loudly on the tram – in Polish. The two perpetrators then became aware of him and asked him if he was Polish. When the 35-year-old said no and said he was German, the attacks started. Even worse could only be prevented because a passenger intervened minutes later.
More articles from this category can be found here: Essen
