Eight pipe bombs exploded in Berlin-Schöneberg last winter. Now a teacher is on trial because of it. There he speaks of internal conflicts and excessive demands.
Berlin – A suspected pipe bomb maker who is said to have detonated several explosive devices in Berlin has stood before the regional court.
The 30-year-old teacher said at the start of the trial at the regional court on Tuesday that he was shocked by his actions and apologized. He tried to compensate for internal conflicts and excessive demands with pyrotechnics.
It was not his aim to injure people or destroy things, the defendant described his behavior. At that time he had “fooled himself into control” and completely ignored the danger.
According to the indictment, the man is said to have detonated eight explosive devices between December 2020 and February 2021. He threw pipe bombs out of the window of his apartment in Berlin-Schöneberg, some ignited in the inner courtyard of the house. In one case, a remote-controlled explosive device attached to a traffic sign slightly injured a passer-by. Window panes were said to have been destroyed by the pressure wave of the explosion.
When the alleged pipe bomb maker was arrested in February 2021, police officers also secured 14 other functioning explosive and incendiary devices that he had manufactured in his apartment and in a motor scooter. The charges include causing an explosive device to explode, causing dangerous bodily harm and preparing an explosion crime. Seven more process days until October 6 are planned so far. dpa
