Berlin. A man has been in prison for years for double homicide. Sometimes he is allowed out of prison. Now he uses an exit to escape.
A double killer from Berlin is still on the run. According to Justice, the national search for the 50-year-old man has not yet been successful. The criminal took advantage of his first unaccompanied outing to escape from Tegel prison on Thursday afternoon.
According to the judicial administration, the man committed two murders in 1995 and was therefore sentenced to life in prison. A justice spokesman did not provide details. According to the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office, the man was convicted in the capital in November 2001. According to a report by “BZ”, he had killed two men in October 1995; first in Berlin and a few days later in Brandenburg.
Relaxations for criminals since 2005
According to the judicial administration, the criminal has been out regularly since 2005. It was said that the criminal authorities are constitutionally obliged to implement such relaxations, also in order to prepare the affected people for a normal life and freedom. So far there have been no complaints.
According to the administration of justice, before the man could leave custody unaccompanied, there was a “comprehensive review process”. According to an expert, relaxation was responsible. “There was no evidence that the prisoner would not return,” stated the justice administration.
The head of the Berlin police union, Stephan Weh, considers the criminal’s escape “worrying”, according to a statement. It is necessary to manage the balance between justice and rehabilitation without putting people at risk. “Our colleagues will do everything they can to put the fugitive back behind bars as quickly as possible.”
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240622-99-494083/2 (dpa)