The Berlin Regional Court has ruled on a particularly brutal knife attack from June 2025. The 19-year-old perpetrator, who inflicted approximately 70 stab and slash wounds on a random high school graduate, has been ordered to an indefinite stay in a closed psychiatric hospital. The presiding judge justified the decision, stating that without treatment, the man continues to pose a threat to society. The victims were completely random passersby: a 20-year-old high school graduate and her mother.
Psychiatric Placement Verdict
The Berlin Regional Court decided to order the 19-year-old perpetrator of the knife attack to an indefinite stay in a closed psychiatric hospital. The decision is of a protective and therapeutic nature, not a prison sentence.
Motive of Murderous Pleasure
The perpetrator acted from a motive defined in German criminal law as "Mordlust," meaning the desire to kill for the sheer pleasure or satisfaction of the act. The victims were chosen completely at random.
Severe Injuries to Victims
The younger victim, a 20-year-old high school graduate, sustained approximately 70 stab and slash wounds. Her mother was also seriously injured. Both women survived but suffered severe physical and psychological injuries.
Indefinite Period of Isolation
The perpetrator will remain in the facility for as long as experts deem it necessary for public safety and his treatment. There is no upper time limit for the duration of this isolation.
The Berlin Regional Court (Landgericht) has issued a verdict in the case of a particularly brutal knife attack that occurred in June 2025. The 19-year-old perpetrator has been ordered to an indefinite stay in a closed psychiatric hospital. The presiding judge justified the decision, stating that the man, who acted with a "murderous intent" (Mordlust), remains a danger to society without appropriate treatment. „Der 19-Jährige, der aus Mordlust gehandelt habe, sei ohne Behandlung gefährlich für die Allgemeinheit.” (The 19-year-old, who acted out of murderous intent, would be dangerous to the public without treatment.) — Presiding Judge The attack was exceptionally cruel. The victims were completely random passersby: a 20-year-old high school graduate and her mother. The younger woman sustained approximately 70 stab and slash wounds, and her mother was also seriously injured. Both survived but suffered severe physical and psychological injuries. The perpetrator's motive, defined in the German penal code as Mordlust, means the desire to kill for the sheer pleasure or satisfaction of the act, which the court confirmed by pointing to the completely random selection of victims. The institution of placement in a psychiatric hospital instead of a prison (known as Maßregel der Besserung und Sicherung) has a long tradition in German criminal law. Its roots date back to 19th-century concepts of criminal law that separated criminal responsibility from the necessity of protecting society from individuals deemed not criminally responsible. A key amendment was introduced by the 1933 law, the principles of which, in modified form, remain in effect today. The verdict is of a protective and therapeutic nature, not a prison sentence. This means the 19-year-old will remain in a closed psychiatric facility for as long as experts deem it necessary for public safety and his treatment. No upper time limit for this isolation has been set. The decision came nearly nine months after the incident, indicating the complex nature of the proceedings, which required expert psychiatric and judicial opinions. The case has resonated widely in German media, drawing attention to the problem of random street violence and the limits of criminal responsibility for individuals with mental disorders. The so-called "measure of rehabilitation and security" allows the court to make such a decision when the perpetrator acted in a state of insanity or diminished responsibility, and their continued freedom threatens public safety.