Arson attack on synagogue: 28-year-old remains in psychiatric hospital!

Arson attack on synagogue: 28-year-old remains in psychiatric hospital!

An arson attack on the synagogue in Oldenburg caused a stir and is now bringing with it new developments. On June 17, 2025, the Oldenburg Regional Court made its verdict: The 28-year-old perpetrator, who threw a Molotov cocktail at the synagogue door in April 2024, was declared not guilty. According to NDR, this is due to his mental illness, paranoid schizophrenia.

At the time of the crime, the young man had an acute attack, provoked by drug use, particularly cannabis, and discontinuing his medication. Voices in his head moved him to do this, and he described it as an attempt to "convert" and "warn" the Jewish community, as he explained at the trial, reports butenunbinnen. However, the court ruled out a politically motivated act.

Psychiatric treatment and preventive detention

Due to his mental state, the accused poses a danger to himself and others. He must therefore remain in a psychiatric hospital until his condition improves. However, the judgment is not yet final. The case was even shown on national television and was covered in the program “Aktenzeichen XY… Unsolved”. It was only in January 2025 that the police were able to catch the perpetrator after the public and the media drew intensive attention to the incident.

Fortunately, the arson attack itself only caused minor damage to the synagogue door, which was quickly extinguished by the caretaker team from a nearby cultural center. There were no injuries, which is positive given the circumstances.

Social reactions

The Jewish community was directly affected, and the perpetrator publicly apologized to the community's leader, Claire Schaub-Moore. In response to the incident, a citizens' alliance organized a “silent vigil for humanity and tolerance” in Oldenburg. Such actions are important to take a stand against intolerance and violent attacks.

The issue of dealing with mentally ill criminals is of great importance in our society. The DGPPN emphasizes that people with mental illnesses are not generally more dangerous than healthy ones. But when combined with drug abuse, aggressive behavior can occur. Recent studies also show an increase in psychiatric placements, which points to the need for prison reform.

Finally, it is to be hoped that the case will not only lead to a discussion of the legal framework, but also to a more intensive discussion about the treatment of mentally ill people in our society. The incident reminds us that we are all called upon to practice tolerance and humanity and to stick together in difficult times.