A 22-year-old Afghan man, who was reportedly suffering from schizophrenia and severe mental illness, is accused of fatally stabbing a student in broad daylight on a Trier street in July.
According to the Trier prosecutor, the man was experiencing delusions and paranoia at the time, which left him unable to control his actions.
The attack occurred at around 10am on 15 July, as the suspect was walking on Robert-Schuman-Allee. He encountered a 22-year-old student, who happened to be returning from shopping, and whom he did not know.
Investigators say the suspect felt persecuted and, acting on his delusions, pushed the student into the street and stabbed him several times in the upper body with a large kitchen knife he was carrying.
The prosecutor’s office confirmed that the victim was struck in the heart and died shortly after being taken to hospital.
The suspect reportedly left the knife at the scene and was found soon after by police sitting on the pavement in front of his residence.
Prosecutors have stated that, due to his psychiatric condition, the suspect cannot be held criminally responsible and therefore cannot be put on trial.
The request for his placement in a secure psychiatric institution must still be approved in a public court hearing. The suspect is currently being held in a closed psychiatric facility.
