Process for Cologne bakery explosion: acquittal causes excitement!

Process for Cologne bakery explosion: acquittal causes excitement!

About a year ago, a gas explosion shook a bakery in Mülheim, Cologne and left many questions. On April 19, 2024 there was a devastating explosion in the bakery there, which made the residential and commercial building uninhabitable and seriously injured a resident when a room wall brought him through the pressure wave of the explosion. The explosion was the result of an improper introduction of propangas into the natural gas line, which was designed for a pressure of 0.2 bar - but the propaneas was initiated with a pressure of 7 bar. The energy supplier had previously blocked the gas connection of the company due to arrears, which significantly influenced the dramatic events.

Now, almost a year later, the trial against a 31-year-old operator of the bakery ended surprisingly: it was acquitted of the allegations of negligent bodily harm and negligent brought about an explosion by the district court. This was shared by the Rundschau with. The chairman of the court made it clear that considerable doubts remained of the accused's guilt. He revoked his initial admission of guilt during the trial: "[...] I didn't tell my lawyers the truth," was his statement.

The course of the process

The doubts that arise during the process were primarily nourished by the house owner's statement. The latter confirmed that he only spoke to the defendant's brother about the use of the gas connection, but not with the accused himself. This led to a remarkable turning point in the process: The 31-year-old withdrew his confession, which had originally fallen under the pressure of the situation. It remains unclear whether investigations are being initiated again against his brother, whose procedure has already been temporarily stopped.

The tragic consequences of the explosion made the shortcomings more than clear when handling gas lines. In addition to the destroyed roof structure and the collapsing ceilings, the building remains uninhabitable to this day and raises questions about safety in dealing with dangerous materials. Further information on similar cases and their legal consequences also illuminates the Federal Court , which has recently been given a judgment in another case and thus underlined the importance of compliance with security standards.

an unexpected end

The entire situation has dealt with the community, and the surprising turn in the process was surprised. The question of guilt remains nebulous, while the view is now aimed at the progress of the investigation. Is it possible that the upper bakery will strengthen the security precautions in the future as well as with similar incidents? Only time will show it.