Darmstadt (dpa/lhe) – In the proceedings for a poison attack at the Technical University of Darmstadt, the accused woman has confessed to mixing chemicals in her food. In the act dated August 23, 2021, seven TU members were poisoned and one scientist was briefly in danger of dying. Prosecutors charged the poison attack as attempted murder.
Doctors had diagnosed the accused German citizen with paranoid schizophrenia before the trial began. In the current jury trial, the main question is whether the woman should be admitted to a closed psychiatric clinic for several years of therapy.
In the statement her lawyer read before the Darmstadt Regional Court on Tuesday, the 33-year-old described that in 2020 and 2021 she heard voices, felt she was being followed and spied on – by members of the Materials Science department, her neighbors and during her time as a working student at the Darmstadt Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research (GSI).
His client wanted to “teach a lesson” to these people, who felt harassed, explained the defense attorney. “Then she decided to distribute dangerous substances in the kitchens of the cafes,” said the lawyer. The 33-year-old did not want to permanently harm or even kill anyone. He has mixed the chemical mixture into honey, UHT milk and the water tanks of coffee machines.
The former student also said through her lawyer that she assumed that the bromoaniline she used, among other things, was harmless in small doses. There was only the danger symbol for irritants on the ship. Bromoaniline cuts off the oxygen supply to the organs.
The lawyer further explained on behalf of her client that she no longer heard voices, no longer felt persecuted and wanted to be treated further.
Psychiatric expert Sergiy Davydenko of Mainz University confirmed in court that the woman suffered from paranoid schizophrenia with acoustic hallucinations. According to her diagnosis, her ability to control was complete at the time of the crime and her ability to understand was partially abolished.
“There is no alternative to housing,” the forensic psychiatrist said. The woman had to go to a closed specialist clinic because she was just starting therapy. The drug reduced symptoms but still needs to be optimized, said the psychiatry and psychotherapy specialist. The trial will continue next Tuesday (December 6).
