According to previous investigations, the devastating fire at a refugee residence in Germany four weeks ago was not a targeted attack on refugees. Rather, a firefighter is now the focus of the investigation…
“As a result of the investigation, we assume that the crime in Groß Strömkendorf is part of a series of fires,” Chief Prosecutor Claudia Lange of the Schwerin public prosecutor’s office said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Suspected firefighter denies crime
The 32-year-old suspect, who was arrested in the morning, is said to be active in both the professional and the voluntary fire brigade and denies the allegations.
Accommodation almost completely destroyed
The former thatched hotel in Groß Strömkensdorf largely burned down on the night of October 19 to 20. The 14 Ukrainian residents of the accommodation and their three caretakers were able to escape from the building unharmed. The act immediately caused a stir and on the same day the German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser visited the scene of the fire together with Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig.
No political motive
The investigation results of the criminal investigation department and the public prosecutor’s office so far contradict the suspicions of a racially motivated crime that were expressed in public and in the media immediately after the major fire. These were ignited by a swastika scribble defaced on a German Red Cross sign in front of the building two days before the fire. The detectives had therefore initially not ruled out a political background.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the fire report now assumes that the fire was deliberately set and that a fire accelerator was also used. According to the detective, however, it was not the report that killed the suspect, but his own statement: This did not match the information of the other more than 120 local residents and emergency services questioned. According to the prosecution, these inconsistencies in relation to the secured evidence justify the suspicion that the suspect was already at the crime scene at the time of the crime. However, he also participated in the firefighting work.
Three more fires started?
The urgent suspicion extends not only to the fire in the refugee accommodation, but also to three other fires in a wooded area, a carport and a straw rental. In addition, there have been 15 other actions since April 2022, which are also part of the investigation, says Lange.
The 32-year-old was brought before the magistrate of the Schwerin court on Wednesday and is now in custody. A search of the home also turned up other evidence that has not yet been evaluated.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
