The news spread beyond Lower Bavaria on Saturday evening: Four men have escaped from the district clinic in Straubing at Lerchenhaid. Two of the men had been accommodated in the clinic due to drug offenses and two for theft, said a police spokesperson. A withdrawal had been ordered for all four.
Even on Sunday evening, they remain on the run from the police. A police spokesperson said on Sunday evening that they are being searched for “intensively.” The criminal investigation department and the public prosecutor’s office are investigating on suspicion of hostage-taking and grievous bodily harm. However, the search has so far been unsuccessful: Around 100 officers searched for the fugitives during the night. A helicopter and search dogs were also deployed.
According to the current status, as described by the police, the four patients of the clinic initially threatened and attacked a staff member and forced their way out with the hostage at the gate. “The staff member was released immediately after the main entrance was opened,” reports the newspaper “Donaukurier,” citing the police headquarters. They had used blunt and sharp objects during the incident. The staff member sustained facial injuries and is being treated as an inpatient at a clinic, the police spokesperson said. The four patients fled on foot.
Therapy was set to be terminated for three men
The police classify the escaped men as dangerous, the wanted page lists pictures and information about the offenders: Two of them are 28 years old and German citizens, the 31-year-old man is Bosnian, and the youngest patient is 27 years old and comes from Kosovo.
A spokesperson for the district of Lower Bavaria stated in the evening that the termination of therapy was planned for three of the four men. One had only recently committed a so-called relaxation abuse. Details were not available at first.
Escapes by inmates occur repeatedly. The Lower Bavaria police have a long list of wanted individuals, both known and unknown offenders, some of whom have been on the run for years. Just about a week ago, a man convicted of manslaughter escaped during a supervised outing in the Bavarian town of Plattling in the district of Deggendorf. The man is not expected to be granted any relaxation soon, partly because this was not his first escape attempt. A fugitive murderer who was incarcerated in Bruchsal prison near Karlsruhe and escaped during a day release at the end of October 2023 was captured only after nine months by search agents in the Republic of Moldova.
“Such escapes must not happen again”
Bavaria’s Minister of Social Affairs Ulrike Scharf (CSU) called for a detailed examination of the incident in Straubing and consequences on Sunday. “Everything will be put to the test. There must be no danger to the public and the staff in the forensic clinics from the secure custody,” she stated. “The safety and protection of the public are of utmost priority.” Security concepts in the facilities must be tightened and improved throughout Bavaria, the minister emphasized. This includes the further development of hostage scenarios and training for the staff. It must also be examined whether the termination of therapy and transfer to correctional facilities can take place more quickly and legally in certain cases. “Such escapes must not happen again.”
The minister continued: “I can understand the concerns and uncertainties of the citizens in this exceptional situation. Please follow the instructions of the police and remain calm and composed.” In secure custody, individuals are housed who cannot be prosecuted due to insanity or diminished responsibility – for example, due to a mental illness or addiction.
The district hospital in Straubing is, according to its own statements, a specialized clinic for forensic psychiatry and psychotherapy and fulfills the legal mandate of secure custody under the sponsorship of the district of Lower Bavaria. There are 230 therapy places available.