Cologne on alert: 38-year-old still on the run after escaping from the hospital!

Cologne on alert: 38-year-old still on the run after escaping from the hospital!

An incident in Cologne is causing a stir: a 38-year-old criminal has been on the run since June 16, 2025. During an accompanied release at the LVR forensic clinic on Porzer Ringstrasse in Westhoven, he escaped from his supervisor and disappeared into an adjacent forest. Fortunately, the carer was uninjured. The Cologne police confirmed on June 23 that the search for the fugitive was still active and extensive measures had been initiated to find the man. The day after his escape, they searched the area around the Gremberg forest with hundreds of sniffer dogs, but without success, as ksta.de reported.

The man being sought is described as being around 1.74 meters tall, has short dark hair and was wearing a black T-shirt, dark blue jeans and gray Adidas sneakers at the time of his escape. Striking features include an L-shaped scar on the left forearm, a scar on the left hand and a star tattoo on the right upper arm. Police say the fugitive currently poses no threat to the public. However, officials are calling on the public to exercise caution if they come into contact with the person they are looking for and to call 110 immediately.

Background to forensic psychiatry

The 38-year-old's escape sheds light on the issue of forensic psychiatry in Germany. More than one in four adults suffer from mental illness every year, which in some cases can lead to unlawful acts. In such cases, courts order detention in psychiatric hospitals to ensure the safety of the general public. These measures are part of the so-called measures of improvement and security, which are also anchored in Section 61 of the Criminal Code. The purpose of these accommodations is to prevent predicted crimes and to offer therapeutic support to the affected people, as mags.nrw explains.

In the penal system, patients who are considered capable and willing to undergo therapy can make proven progress in therapy that leads to relaxation. This may include inclusions such as visiting options or exits. But not every patient has this option, especially those with severe personality disorders or disturbed sexual behavior that are subject to strict criteria. The aim of the relaxation is to gradually return responsibility to the patients and prepare them for a possible discharge, as the contents of klinikum-weissenhof.de make clear.

Current status of the search

The Cologne police are continuing their searches with the support of the patrol service. Although the first searches in the Gremberg forest were unsuccessful, the goal remains to find the fugitive as quickly as possible. In fact, the apprehension of such individuals is crucial not only for the safety of residents, but also for the therapeutic system itself.

Another call to raise awareness has been made: The police recommend that it is better to act too much than to end up in a dangerous situation. It remains to be hoped that the 38-year-old will be caught soon so as not to further endanger both the population and the further processes in the penal system.