Since Wednesday, the police in Berlin and Brandenburg have been looking for an escaped criminal at high pressure. But so far there has been no trace of the 64-year-old, who is being held in preventive custody for manslaughter and sex crimes. Now the investigators are turning to the public with mug shots.
A convicted criminal in preventive detention managed to escape to the toilet in a Berlin shopping center. The police are now publicly searching in Berlin and Brandenburg with a picture of the escapee – but so far without success. The 64-year-old, who is housed in Brandenburg an der Havel, had an exit on Wednesday and was accompanied by two judicial officials in Berlin. In the afternoon he was able to escape from the Europa Center on Breitscheidplatz near the Memorial Church. The man was unsupervised for a brief moment while going to the toilet and took the opportunity to escape, the Brandenburg Ministry of Justice announced on Friday.
The 64-year-old had been sentenced to a lengthy prison term for manslaughter and sexual offences. Preventive detention is ordered for particularly dangerous offenders so that they remain behind bars even after they have served their sentence. But you also have the right to an exit. The wanted person had been in preventive detention in Brandenburg an der Havel for more than five years.
According to the Minister of Justice, on Wednesday he wanted to go to a shop for his leisure time when he went to Berlin for several hours. When asked, the ministry spokeswoman did not provide any further information as to what kind of business it was. One said that the detainee was able to flee “due to a violation of the principle of the necessary immediate supervision”. Administrative and labor law measures have been initiated against the employees involved. The ministry spokeswoman did not say why they let the man out of sight.
So far, the statements of the person in preventive detention have gone without objection, the ministry said. Last April, an expert came to the conclusion that there were no concerns about going out accompanied by prison staff. The person in preventive detention took part in therapeutic measures.
According to the ministry, the preventive detention must be designed “therapy-oriented and freedom-oriented”. “Even if they are being held for a long time, the detainees must be able to live in dignity and be largely self-determined.” According to the ministry, at least four executions per year are planned.
The police are looking for clues to the whereabouts of the man who wears glasses and has a bald head. “The man’s deformed ear is striking,” wrote the authority. Anyone who has information or has seen the person they are looking for since Wednesday, February 15, should contact the Brandenburg police on the emergency call 110 or by calling 03381/560-1221. Alternatively, citizens can also contact any other police station.
