A 33-year-old German man who was arrested for driving his car into a crowd of people on a central pedestrian street in Leipzig, killing two people and injuring eight others, will be sent to a psychiatric clinic by court order.
According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, the suspect is charged with two murders and one attempted murder. However, the current investigation shows that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the defendant committed the act “in a state of at least significantly reduced mental capacity”, while at the request of the prosecutor, the Leipzig Regional Court found his temporary isolation in a psychiatric clinic “necessary for public safety”. Based on the current findings, due to his condition, the defendant is likely to “commit further serious unlawful acts of comparable severity”, the Public Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.
The perpetrator was born in Germany and lived in the Leipzig area, and until a few days ago was hospitalized in a psychiatric clinic. He was admitted voluntarily and was released from the hospital at the end of April, the Saxony Ministry of Social Affairs confirmed. He had previously been targeted by police, including for threats and defamatory acts against people in his social circle.
Yesterday's attack killed a 63-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man, while eight others were injured, two of them seriously. In addition, more than 80 people sought medical attention.
