After the alleged anti-queer attack in Münster, the autopsy confirms what had previously been suspected. While the dismay is still great, the next attack is already known elsewhere.
Münster (dpa / lnw) - After the fatal attack on Christopher Street Day in Münster, the autopsy of the 25-year-old's body revealed that the man had suffered a severe traumatic brain injury to the back of his head. This was probably caused by the impact of the head on the asphalt, said a spokesman for the public prosecutor's office on Monday. A 20-year-old is said to have suddenly hit him with his fist. A companion of the suspect was questioned on Monday - but he is not being investigated.
The craniocerebral trauma could have been the immediate cause of death, the prosecutor said after the autopsy. It is also said that the 25-year-old died of medical complications from the artificial coma he was placed in after the attack. That will be clarified, said the spokesman. Legally, however, this does not play a major role, the charge does not depend on it. The 20-year-old is in custody on suspicion of causing bodily harm resulting in death.
At the CSD event on August 27, the man is said to have initially insulted and threatened two women, including queer hostility. When the 25-year-old asked him not to do that, the 20-year-old is said to have hit his fist at least once. The prosecutor's spokesman said on Monday that there were no more traces of punches to be seen during the autopsy. This can be explained by the timing. The body was autopsied nine days after the attack, so swelling will go down over time.
The 25-year-old was first taken to the hospital and succumbed to his injuries last Friday. The 20-year-old was arrested the same day. After the crime, he initially fled with a companion. This companion contacted the police on Sunday and was questioned as a witness on Monday, said a spokesman for the public prosecutor's office. There was no reliable evidence that he was involved in the insults before the physical attack. Otherwise, no criminal offenses were evident – it was not determined against him, it said.
The public prosecutor's office in Münster assumes a queer-hostile background. The victim is a trans man. Trans people are people who do not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. The act had caused nationwide consternation.
As it became known on Monday, a trans woman was attacked and seriously injured by a group of young people on a tram in Bremen on Saturday. State security is investigating hate crime and dangerous bodily harm.
A group of 10 to 15 young people are said to have insulted the 57-year-old and tore her wig off her head. A perpetrator, who was estimated by witnesses to be 14 to 16 years old, punched her in the face with both fists. Only when other passengers intervened did the group let go of the woman and get off the train. The police are now evaluating the videos from the surveillance camera on the train, said a police spokeswoman.
