Train Attendant Death: Ticket Check Attack

According to Deutsche Bahn, the man died from his injuries after attacking a train attendant during a ticket check in Rhineland-Palatinate. According to the police’s previous findings, a 26-year-old attacked 36-year-old railway employee Serkan C. on a regional express on Monday evening as the train left Landstuhl station in the Kaiserslautern district.

The Zweibrücken public prosecutor’s office also confirmed the 36-year-old’s death on Wednesday. He was seriously injured by punches to the head. According to the current state of the investigation, no weapon was used. The investigative authority ordered an autopsy of his body, which should take place on Wednesday. The suspect has so far made use of his right to remain silent.

Since the 26-year-old couldn’t show a ticket, he was supposed to be expelled from the train – which, according to the police, led to the attack on Serkan C. A Bundeswehr soldier who was on the train resuscitated the injured man, who came from Ludwigshafen. He was taken to the Homburg University Hospital seriously injured.

Emergency services from the Saarland state police and the federal police arrested the suspect. The Kaiserslautern Criminal Investigation Department is investigating the background to the incident and the sequence of events. The suspected perpetrator is a Greek who does not live in Germany, said a police spokeswoman. The 26-year-old is now in custody.

The CEO of Deutsche Bahn, Evelyn Palla, wrote in a post on the Linkedin platform that the employee’s death left her “stunned and sad.” “All of us at Deutsche Bahn strongly condemn this terrible excess of violence and the completely senseless death of our colleague. We all have to ask ourselves why such outbreaks of violence keep occurring.” It is a black day for all railway workers; your deepest condolences go out to his relatives, friends and colleagues.

The Railway and Transport Union (EVG) called for a minute’s silence on Wednesday. “We are shocked and mourn our colleague,” said EVG chairman Martin Burkert. “Today the railway family is at a standstill.” The minute’s silence will take place today at 3:00 p.m. “Starting tomorrow we will increase the pressure again,” the union continued. “This brutal attack must now trigger a rethink.” Politicians must take measures to increase security.

The union boss criticized that the safety of staff and passengers had been cut for years. “On many local trains there is only one conductor,” he added. Security personnel almost never come along.

“For years we have been pointing out that attacks on train crews are increasing. Colleagues report increasing disrespect, threats and physical violence,” explained Mario Reiß, federal chairman of the German Locomotive Drivers’ Union (GDL). Many situations escalated more quickly than before: “Nevertheless, in the political debate we often experience relativizations, statistical calculations or measures that look good, especially on paper.”

Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) admitted on Wednesday that more needed to be done to protect rail employees. “Trains and stations must be safe,” he explained. The Prime Ministers of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, Alexander Schweitzer and Anke Rehlinger (both SPD), said in a joint press statement that the “terrible violence against someone who is simply doing his job” made people angry and sad. It is a terrible expression of the “long-standing increasing aggressiveness” towards railway staff. The two heads of government also announced joint efforts to better protect train attendants and passengers.

The number of attacks on Deutsche Bahn employees has been increasing for several years: an average of five employees are physically attacked every day, according to a response from the Federal Ministry of the Interior to a question from left-wing MP Dietmar Bartsch. The figures refer to the first ten months of last year. According to the Interior Ministry, there are also four cases of threats against railway employees every day. During the entire period, 1,231 Deutsche Bahn employees were victims of physical injuries. And 324 employees were even victims of dangerous bodily harm.