Prozessbeginn in Aachen: Prozess nach Sprengsatz-Angriff im ICE beginnt

On Tuesday, the Landgericht Aachen will begin the trial of a 20-year-old man accused of throwing a grenade and planning a stabbing attack on passengers aboard an ICE train in Siegburg. The defendant is charged with attempted murder. The incident on April 2nd at Siegburg near Bonn was shocking for both passengers and the public, with ten people suffering minor injuries from plastic pellets and at least one person requiring hospital treatment for blast trauma.

Most of the 180 passengers on the train escaped unharmed, but the event could have been far worse. The accused is alleged to have left a backpack, helmet, and knife at the train toilet before attempting his plan. Police believe the soft air grenades were intended as a distraction to prevent the early discovery of the stabbing plan.

However, the attacker's actions backfired when a train employee and passenger managed to apprehend him before the police arrived. The suspect was taken into custody at the Siegburg station and the entire train, as well as parts of the station, were secured. Passengers were sheltered in a nearby gym and mental health support was provided.

While investigators initially suspected a politically motivated attack, this was later determined not to be the case. The 20-year-old is currently in custody and has not yet been assigned a motive. The prosecutor's office reports that the suspect was found to possess various documents reflecting different ideologies but no clear motive.

The individual had a prior criminal record, with the prosecutor noting that the matter involved several offenses. A psychiatric evaluation confirmed the defendant's full legal capacity. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 15 years in prison, and the Landgericht will also consider the option of securing the suspect's assets. The defendant's lawyer declined to comment before the trial, which is scheduled for a series of eight hearings until mid-December.