Cologne perpetrator sentenced to 4 years in prison: knife attack shocks the city!

Cologne perpetrator sentenced to 4 years in prison: knife attack shocks the city!

A 25-year-old man was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison at the Cologne regional court. This verdict was made because of his grievous bodily harm and other crimes that were committed in November last year. Some of the incidents took place in Cologne, where the accused Moroccan was caught trafficking drugs, especially marijuana, cannabis and cocaine, in the towns of Ebertplatz and Eigelstein. He is also known for robbing another man of 30 euros in a particularly brutal attack. This reports ksta.de.

A drastic incident took place on November 20th in the “Hürth Park” shopping center when a violent attack occurred following an argument with the later victim. Security staff had expelled the two because of their loudness and drunkenness. In the parking lot, the defendant finally stabbed the victim in the upper abdomen and several times with a knife, who was subsequently seriously injured and had to undergo emergency surgery. Even after the operation, the victim suffers from permanent damage and psychological stress. The circumstances of his life - he lived on the streets and was addicted to drugs - were seen as mitigating the punishment. Nevertheless, his previous convictions and the high rate of recidivism played a decisive role in the conviction.

A look into the past

The defendant fled Morocco in 2019 and came to Germany in 2023, where his asylum application was unsuccessful. The court found that it did not make sense to place him in a custodial system because the man suffered from poor impulse control and showed aggressive behavior. A language barrier and a lack of willingness to undergo therapy were identified as significant obstacles to providing him with appropriate help. Nevertheless, there was some improvement over the course of the trial and the defendant became calmer.

Psychological stress among refugees

The 25-year-old's case is not an isolated one. Around a million refugees in Germany could urgently need psychological support. But loud mediendienst-integration.de Only around 3.3 percent of these people actually receive help in psychosocial centers. An evaluation shows that around 30 percent of refugees have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and around 40 percent have depressive symptoms. The numbers are alarming, especially among people fleeing crisis areas such as Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. These people not only have stressful experiences of war and persecution, but also often struggle with discrimination and unsafe living conditions in Germany.

A central point when it comes to health care is that asylum seekers in the first three years in Germany can only receive medical treatment in emergencies or acute illnesses. Traumatized people in particular suffer from unrelated circumstances associated with the asylum process. Many are unable to express themselves adequately due to language barriers or a lack of interpreters, making accurate diagnosis and treatment difficult. It is estimated that up to 70 percent of refugees and asylum seekers have had traumatic experiences, making early identification and support essential for many.

The political environment and reluctance to access psychological help contribute to the problems. Loud aerzteblatt.de There is not only a lack of sufficient treatment for traumatized refugees, but also a comprehensive concept for medical care that takes their specific needs into account. Deportation measures can deepen existing trauma and often result in new psychological stress.