The public prosecutor’s office does not name the accused

Shortly after the crime, several media outlets published details about the accused, as is usual after serious crimes, including the abbreviated name Ioanni V. (“Bild” newspaper). Claims circulating on social media according to which the suspect’s name is Mustafa Aslan and he is a Syrian migrant, were quickly exposed as hoaxes.

Meanwhile, speculation about the origins and life of the alleged thug continues on social media. However, the investigative authorities are sticking to their course of strictly protecting the man’s identity. Felix Huth, spokesman for the Zweibrücken public prosecutor’s office, now commented on the legal background to FOCUS online.

Reasons: Presumption of innocence and right to a fair trial

“The mention of the accused’s name in the preliminary investigation is recognized as a serious infringement on the accused’s general personal rights,” said Huth. He refers to the principle of the presumption of innocence. “The accused’s right to a fair trial must also not be impaired.”

According to the public prosecutor, the fatal attack on the train attendant was “a serious crime with great public resonance.” “At the same time, the risk of prejudice and public identification is particularly high.” Weighing up all the arguments “leads to the inadmissibility of naming someone,” says Felix Huth.

“Rare Greek first name”: High chance of identification

According to the public prosecutor, even mentioning the first name carries “an increased risk that the accused could be identified.” Huth to FOCUS online: “In this respect, it should be noted that there is a special probability of identification here because of Greek nationality and the Greek first name, which is therefore rare in Luxembourg and Germany.”

The spokesman also said that investigations into the case were still ongoing. “After the investigation has been completed, the public prosecutor’s office will finally examine the matter from a legal and factual perspective. It is not possible for me to make a time forecast.” The Greek is represented by a public defender, but has also hired an elective defense attorney. The prosecution did not want to say whether he had already commented on the allegations against him.

Railway employee Serkan C. killed while checking tickets

The act of violence on a regional express at the beginning of February caused horror across Germany. The 36-year-old railway employee Serkan C. was attacked by the accused with blows to the head during a ticket check. He lost consciousness and later died in a hospital from a cerebral hemorrhage.

A few hours before the fatal attack, the suspected perpetrator had already become conspicuous. Federal police took the 26-year-old out of a TGV train coming from France in Kaiserslautern at 11:50 a.m. because he had kicked a door on the train.