Friday August 9, 2024
MUNICH, Germany (HOL) — A convicted Somali criminal, who had previously committed a brutal homicide, escaped during a supervised outing from a psychiatric hospital in Bavaria on Thursday, triggering an extensive police search. He was later captured without resistance.
Mursal Mohamed Seid, 24, evaded his escorts during a bathroom break while on a supervised visit to a cinema in Plattling, Bavaria. Police quickly classified him as extremely dangerous, launching a large-scale search operation that included the use of a helicopter. Authorities issued a public warning, urging residents not to approach Seid and to contact the police immediately if he was spotted.
Seid was apprehended eight hours later near a grocery store about five kilometres from the cinema. Police credited the arrest to a tip from the public, noting that Seid did not resist arrest.
Seid had been confined to the Mainkofen District Hospital in Deggendorf after being found not criminally responsible for a 2021 murder. He had stabbed a 52-year-old man 111 times before decapitating him, a crime he allegedly committed during a schizophrenic episode. The court ruled that Seid was unable to understand the severity of his actions at the time.
The decision to allow Seid to participate in “reality training,” a supervised day release intended to help patients reintegrate into society, has sparked significant controversy. Bavaria’s Interior Minister, Joachim Herrmann, expressed concern and announced an investigation into why such a dangerous individual was permitted to leave the hospital.
Seid’s escape spotlights ongoing challenges in Germany regarding the management of violent offenders with severe mental health issues, particularly among migrants. The country has seen several incidents involving migrants with psychiatric conditions, raising questions about public safety and the adequacy of current protocols.
The case is reminiscent of a similar 2021 incident involving another Somali migrant, Abdirahman Jibril, who fatally stabbed three people and injured seven others in a Würzburg shopping center. Jibril’s defence argued that he was experiencing a psychotic episode at the time.
