View from the Marienbrücke into the Pöllat Gorge. © Garrison
Almost a week has passed since the act of violence at the Marienbrücke, and in the meantime some details have become known. However, the German authorities are keeping a low profile.
It has now been almost a week since a 30-year-old American tourist attacked two young women and pushed them into the Pöllat Gorge, whereupon one of them died.
In the meantime, some details about the violence and the suspect have become known, although the German authorities are still keeping a very low profile. The only official confirmation is that the suspect resides in the US state of Michigan. This is reported by a spokesman for the police on request. It goes on to say: "The investigations of the criminal investigation department are ongoing, but they require requests for legal assistance from the German judiciary to the American authorities, which prolongs the time for corresponding steps." So it will take some time before further investigation results can be announced.
When asked about the identity of the suspect and the victims, the public prosecutor's office in Kempten said: "No further information is currently being provided on the identity of the suspect and the injured party for reasons of privacy or victim protection." Regardless of whether reports about the identity have been published in various media, Senior Public Prosecutor Thomas Hörmann "would like to continue to comply with data protection regulations."
22-year-old discharged from hospital
Police say the surviving victim, a 22-year-old tourist, has since been discharged from hospital. The suspect remains in custody. Senior Public Prosecutor Hörmann explains: "After completion of the investigation, the public prosecutor's office will evaluate the results of the investigation and decide whether charges will be brought and, if so, for what facts and with what legal assessment".
Extradition of the suspect to the USA?
Whether the suspect could be extradited to the United States, the prosecutor's office can not say. "I don't know anything about that. To do this, the U.S. authorities would have to approach the German authorities and submit an extradition request." However, the decision on such an extradition request does not lie within the decision-making competence of the public prosecutor's office investigating here, but is a foreign matter and is therefore decided at government level.
Around Neuschwanstein Castle, normal operations continue to prevail. It is high season and crowds of tourists visit the fairytale castle.