Caught 'Em Regardless! Historical Left-Wing Extremist Bomb Plot Foiled - 80s Rebels Get Sentenced
- 2 Min
Extremists Linked to Left-Wing Ideology Convicted After Three Decades - Failure of bombing 30 years ago results in conviction of leftists now.
The courthouse was abuzz after the verdict, with beer cans and laughter echoing through the halls. Thirty years after a planned left-wing extremist bomb attack in Berlin, two men, Peter K., 65, and Thomas W., 62, were handed a two-year suspended sentence. After decades of hiding in South America, they finally faced the music back in Germany.
The court decided on the lenient sentence despite the planned bombing, due to the fact that it remained an attempt, the passage of time since the crime, and the perpetrators' confessions. Both men were found guilty of attempted detonation of an explosive device.
Burying the Hatchet: A quid pro quo Agreement
This verdict followed a secret understanding between the parties involved, which included the return and confession of the two men.
Peter K., Thomas W., and a now-deceased accomplice had schemed the bomb attack as a team under the moniker "Das K.O.M.I.T.T.E.E." Their target was the then-future construction site of a deportation prison in Berlin-Gruenau on the night of April 10-11, 1995, almost exactly 30 years ago.
Good Fortune Prevails: The Night Berlin Was Saved
About 20 sympathizers attended the sentencing, many of them with gray hair, just like the defendants. "Luck" alone thwarted the explosion and destruction of the building with 120 kilograms of explosives, the judge stated.
When the police arrived, the men "took off like a bat out of hell," abandoning a mountain of personal documents like IDs—proof of their involvement in the crime. The judge couldn't contain a smirk during these explanations, and even one of the defendants had to laugh.
A Long Flight: Living on the Lam in South America
The judge elaborated on why the crime remained unshelved due to the statute of limitations being repeatedly interrupted. The now-imposed suspended sentence was neither a symbol of "revengeful justice" nor "undeserved leniency," but a fair response.
The perpetrators had shown an "astronomical level of criminal energy." However, the crime was now three decades old, and this extended stay in South America, isolated from their connections at home, was "no stroll in the park" for the two men, according to the judge. "It wasn't a situation where the defendants could kick back for 30 years."
The fact that the men returned to Germany spoke volumes, indicating that they recognized the justice system's desire to uncover the truth. Although repentance was not the focus of their confessions, the judge acknowledged that they ensured nothing was destroyed, and the primary guilt lay with the defendants themselves.
Judge: Suspended Sentence Just Fits
A suspended sentence was appropriate due to the promising prognosis, the judge emphasized. Both men were also in a time of life that didn't exactly favor further criminal activity - snickers rumbled through the crowd of gray-haired onlookers.
The judge concluded the trial with a message to the defendants and the congregation, "I appreciate you, and I wish you all the best." Stepping out of the grand courthouse, some beers were drawn. Then, the defendant and friends ventured to a café.
- Berlin
- Peter K.
- Thomas W.
- South America
- Left-wing extremism
- "The verdict for Peter K. and Thomas W., both former left-wing extremists, was handed down in the same city where they had planned their attack three decades ago - Berlin."
- "After escaping to South America for decades, the two perpetrators, Peter K. and Thomas W., found themselves enjoying a taste of their homeland's justice system once more."
- "Despite their past involvement in a failed bomb plot, the court in Berlin, acknowledging the time elapsed and the perpetrators' confessions, chose to sentence them with a suspended prison term."
