Over 50 bomb threats acknowledged: adolescent from Hohenlohe admits, discusses motive
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A 20-year-old is eyeballs-deep in the Stuttgart Regional Court for sending over 50 ominous emails nationwide. Here's the lowdown.
In fall 2023, the University of Stuttgart, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, the Jewish community in Ulm, and even the Federal Employment Agency's University of Applied Sciences in Mannheim were among the victims of bomb threats. Guess who was forced to pack up and clear out? That's right, the folks in Mannheim.
A 20-year-old, originating from the Hohenlohe district, has upped and admitted to the nastiness. The game is on trial as of late May, with the 20-year-old and his 21-year-old alleged buddy from Hamburg facing the music.
Bomb Threats: What Bolstered the Defendant's Ego?
The young man craved the spotlight, his lawyer testified. He also yearned for the affections of his Hamburg pally. "There was no other reason behind it," the lawyer declared. Apparently, stoking fear and panic to get attention wasn't enough on its own.
Defense Speaks of Defendant's Remorse
The lawyer dished that the Hohenlohe district resident hadn't always been the model student, skipping school for extended timeframes. However, he eventually secured a high school diploma. Today, the defendant resides with his mother, the lawyer shared. Apparently, he wasn't mature enough to understand the impact of his actions at the time, but has since come to regret them.
Stuttgart Regional Court: "Enticing 'Goals'" and a "Bold Plan"
On Tuesday, tapes of conversations were played at the Stuttgart Regional Court, in which the two men deliberated on the bomb threats. The Hamburg defendant is heard encouraging the younger one, saying things like "Great targets, if you've got such a big plan, let's make it happen" and "Get me amped up, I need to get going." The word "targets," in German, means "goals." In the emails sent by the 20-year-old, the Hamas was falsely declared as the sender, and it was asserted that infants and individuals with disabilities would perish.
The Public Prosecutor's Office in Karlsruhe noted in its indictment that the "prosecution concludes that this was intended to significantly disturb and impair the peace of mind of large parts of the populace." The emails caused numerous, sometimes expensive police operations and stirred up significant alarm and unease, particularly near the threatened institutions.
Trial Continues at the Regional Court
The prosecution insists that this isn't a terrorist act, but rather a disruption of the public peace by threatening criminal acts. Both men must face charges in the coming weeks.
In the ongoing trial at the Stuttgart Regional Court, it was revealed that the defendant from Hohenlohe district had sent bomb threat emails nationwide as part of a bold plan to gain attention and the affection of his alleged accomplice from Hamburg, not just for the panic and fear, but also as a means to achieve certain 'goals'. However, the defendant's lawyer mentioned that he didn't fully understand the impact of his actions at the time and now regrets them. Furthermore, the general-news media outlets have been reporting on this case, which involves politics due to the disruption of numerous public institutions, and crime-and-justice aspects due to the nature of the threats.
