German Court Orders Syrian Axe Attacker to Psychiatric Hospital, Finds Him Not Criminally Responsible
A German court in Regensburg has ordered a 21-year-old Syrian man to be placed in a psychiatric hospital after finding him not criminally responsible for an axe and hammer attack on an ICE train near Straßkirchen on July 3, 2025. The attack left two passengers seriously injured; the presiding judge stated it was purely coincidental that no one died. The defendant, who developed schizophrenia during his three-year flight as an unaccompanied minor, told the court he heard imperative voices and felt threatened, acting in self-defense. The court charged him with attempted manslaughter and dangerous bodily harm but followed the unanimous recommendation of the prosecutor, joint plaintiff representative, and defense attorney to order psychiatric commitment due to a significant risk of repetition. The verdict is not yet legally binding.
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