A 34-year-old man received the most severe penalty under German law for his knife attack on a train in 2023, resulting in the deaths of two individuals and injuries to four others. The defense contended that he should be placed in psychiatric care.

A 34-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison by a court in Itzehoe for the murder of two individuals and the stabbing of several others on a local train in northern Germany last January.

The attack claimed the lives of a 17-year-old girl and her 19-year-old boyfriend, with four others wounded. The train, en route from Hamburg to Kiel in northern Germany, was halted, and the perpetrator was apprehended in the small town of Brokstedt.

Palestinian national Ibrahim A. faced charges of two counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder, with the prosecution advocating for a life sentence and aiming to establish the "particular severity of guilt" required in Germany, akin to first-degree murder in the US. This would make it less likely for the prisoner to be automatically eligible for release after 15 years, as is standard for other life sentences.

Judge Johann Lohmann, in Wednesday's verdict, endorsed the prosecution's stance, labeling the trial as "extraordinary" and describing the crime as "exceptionally distressing."

The defense contended that the defendant was not fit for criminal prosecution due to psychiatric illness and suggested specialized care and observation. However, if the court ruled otherwise, the defense recommended two counts of manslaughter and four charges equivalent to grievous bodily harm.

Although one expert witness and the judge indicated a lack of full psychosis evidence in the defendant, despite apparent psychotic symptoms, the verdict aligned with the prosecution's arguments.

The case spanned over 10 months, encompassing 38 trial days and involving testimony from 97 witnesses and experts.

The defendant initially denied the charges in court before eventually admitting to the acts. Hailing from Gaza, the 34-year-old had been in Germany since 2014, striving to secure residency rights.

According to the prosecution, frustration stemming from an unsuccessful appointment at the migration office in Kiel, where he sought one of the last legal avenues to remain in the country, prompted him to steal a knife from a supermarket and carry out the attack on the train.

The case bore political significance due to apparent lapses in communication between police and relevant authorities. Prior to the attack, the man had been in police custody, suspected of a separate crime in Hamburg. It was later revealed that officials had observed his unruly behavior and suspected a possible psychotic illness during this period.