Germany’s former president Richard von Weizsaecker son murderer has been convicted.
A 57-year-old German man from the western city of Andernach, was convicted Wednesday, of killing the son of Germany’s former president Richard von Weizsaecker and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment. He was ordered held in a psychiatric ward.
Fritz von Weizsaecker, a doctor, was stabbed to death in November while delivering a lecture on liver disease at a clinic in Berlin by the defendant, identified as Gregor S. An off-duty police officer who tried to intervene was also seriously injured.
Berlin’s regional court convicted the defendant of murder and attempted murder. He had confessed to the crime on the second day of his trial, saying he was happy his victim was dead.
The proceeding was briefly halted yesterday morning after the defendant filed bias claims against both the psychological expert who evaluated him and the judge. The claims were dismissed.
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Why was Richard von Weizsaecker son stabbed to death?
Prosecutors said the defendant had acted out of hatred for the former German president, who died in 2015, blaming him for the use of the chemical known as “Agent Orange” during the Vietnam War.
Richard von Weizsäcker once worked for a German chemical company the killer believed had helped produced the defoliant widely used by U.S. troops during the conflict. The chemical has been blamed for health problems among those exposed to it.
Prosecutors, who had sought a 14-year prison sentence, said the defendant wanted “revenge” against the von Weizsaecker family.