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Cologne stone thrower caught: mentally ill man in custody!
A 37-year-old man was arrested in Zülpich because he is suspected of throwing a stone at a car. The police are investigating attempted murder.
Cologne stone thrower caught: mentally ill man in custody!
A new incident is causing a stir in Cologne. Police have arrested a 37-year-old man at a psychiatric clinic in Zülpich who is accused of throwing a paving stone from the “Ursulaplatz” overpass onto a moving car last weekend. The car of the 68-year-old driver and his 60-year-old passenger was hit, but fortunately there was no serious damage or injury. The incident is currently being classified as attempted murder and investigations are ongoing, reports lindweiler.de.
As the police explained, the suspect was identified after several video evaluations and a public search. He already has previous police charges for property and violent crimes. On Saturday evening he was also accused of harassing and spitting on a 16-year-old on the tram in Hürth, which ultimately led to his admission to the psychiatric clinic tag24.de.
A worrying trend
The incident is part of a worrying trend in Germany, where the number of violent crimes has been rising again since 2021. Around 217,000 violent crimes were recorded in 2024, the highest number since 2007. Violent crimes account for less than 4% of all crimes recorded by the police, but have a significant impact on citizens' sense of security, reports Statista. The causes could be economic uncertainty, social stress and previous mental illnesses, which have been exacerbated by the corona pandemic.
It is alarming for the general public to see how violent crime has increased in recent years and how young people are increasingly involved. More than a third of the suspects are under the age of 21, which could trigger a serious discussion about the causes and solutions to these problems.
In the ongoing investigation into the case of the alleged stone thrower, a psychological report is being prepared in order to better understand the perpetrator's circumstances. He will be brought before a judge on Tuesday and the hope is that by solving this case, a feeling of security will be regained in Cologne.