A German court has rejected the appeal of a man who was placed in a psychiatric hospital after attacking a Berlin senator and injuring a companion. The Federal Court of Justice, in a ruling on Tuesday, found no legal errors in the original verdict that would have benefited the defendant.
The man, who had previously thrown a paving stone at an open window of a local authority in the Neukölln district, attacked the senator, Franziska Giffey, in a Berlin library in May 2024, striking her on the head with a bag containing a solid object from behind. A companion of the senator was also injured in the incident.
The Berlin Regional Court had previously ruled that the man, who had a mental health condition, was not criminally responsible for his actions due to his condition. A psychiatric expert had concluded that the man posed a danger to the public. The court decided that the man, due to his condition, was a danger to the public and should be placed in a psychiatric hospital.
The original verdict of the Regional Court has now become final with the Federal Court’s decision, as of May 6, 2025, with the case number 5 StR 166/25.