Jealousy attack in Berlin-Lichterfelde: 70-year-old on trial for attempted murder
A 70-year-old Ukrainian man is alleged to have stabbed his wife's friend out of jealousy. He now stands trial before the Berlin Regional Court.
70-year-old accused of attempted murder after knife attack on rival
Around five months after a near-fatal knife attack in Berlin-Lichterfelde, proceedings began at the Berlin Regional Court against a 70-year-old Ukrainian man. According to tagesspiegel.de, the public prosecutor has charged the defendant with attempted murder.
According to the defendant, he deeply regretted the act but could barely remember how it happened. He said he could not explain how he came to use the knife.
According to the indictment, the 70-year-old and his wife were living in shared accommodation in Lichterfelde at the time of the offence. On 16 May, a dispute broke out in the kitchen between the couple and the woman's 61-year-old new friend. The defendant had not wanted to accept that his wife had separated from him and turned to another man. Out of "massive jealousy and excessive possessiveness", he decided to attack his rival.
Forceful stab to the abdomen
With a knife, the 70-year-old is said to have stabbed "forcefully" into the 61-year-old's abdomen. He "at least accepted the victim's death as a consequence", according to the public prosecutor. Only through the intervention of his wife and the victim's resistance was he prevented from inflicting further stab wounds. The 61-year-old was seriously wounded and had to undergo emergency surgery.
The defendant was arrested at the scene and has been in custody since then.
Regarding his personal background, the 70-year-old explained that he had lived in eastern Ukraine and had fled to Berlin in the summer of 2023 from the Russian war of aggression. His wife had organised everyday life for the family there. He described himself as a reserved person: "I was afraid of losing everything." In the days before the attack, he had drunk large quantities of alcohol due to being overwhelmed with the situation.
Four further hearing dates have been scheduled for the trial through 1 December.
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)