Thomas L.
Died 4 October 2020
Who they were
Thomas was 55 and was visiting Dresden as a tourist from North Rhine-Westphalia with his partner.
What happened
On 4 October 2020, Thomas and his partner were attacked with knives in Dresden's old town. Thomas died; his partner survived with life-threatening injuries. The court found that the attacker acted out of religious fanaticism. On 21 May 2021 the Dresden Higher Regional Court sentenced him to life imprisonment with particular gravity of guilt; the verdict became final in January 2022.
Verdict / confirmation
Oberlandesgericht Dresden, 21 May 2021: life imprisonment for murder and attempted murder; particular gravity of guilt; final after the Bundesgerichtshof rejected the appeal (12 Jan 2022).
Perpetrator: A 20-year-old Syrian who came to Germany as a refugee; Islamist motive (Zeit, n-tv).