The man who killed five people in the German city of Trier in December 2020 has been given a life sentence. He is convicted of multiple murder and sent to a closed psychiatric clinic. The court considers it proven that he “wanted to kill or injure as many people as possible that day”.
The 52-year-old man was swinging his SUV through a pedestrian zone. The dead included a nine-week-old baby and her father. In addition, dozens of people were injured and hundreds of people were traumatized.
According to the police, the perpetrator was quietly smoking a cigarette after the incident and grinned at officers when they found him. He was drunk at the time of the attack.
In Germany it is possible that life sentences are released earlier. But according to the public prosecutor, that chance in this case is very small.