Serb makes cinematic escape from German prison, raising questions over hidden tools
Translated from Serbian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
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- A 35-year-old Serbian prisoner escaped from a Duisburg prison early Sunday after cutting through the bars of a third-floor cell window.
- Investigators found a concealed space in the cell floor that may have been used to hide tools.
- The escape has prompted an inquiry into prison security and possible bribery involving guards in North Rhine-Westphalia.
A 35-year-old Serbian prisoner escaped from a Duisburg prison by cutting through the bars of his cell window, climbing to the fourth floor and fleeing across the roof.
The escape took place at about 3:20 a.m. on Aug. 30, under cover of darkness. Police are searching for Saลกa D., who had been held since early February on suspicion of serious theft. He had previously received a six-year sentence for apartment burglaries, although the conviction was not yet final.
It must be assumed that he hid the tools there that enabled him to cut through the steel bars.
A spokesperson for the North Rhine-Westphalia Justice Ministry said officials found a concealed space in the cell floor. โIt must be assumed that he hid the tools there that enabled him to cut through the steel bars,โ the spokesperson said.
The ministry has opened an investigation into how the escape was possible. The case adds pressure on Justice Minister Benjamin Limbach, after several guards at prisons in the state were already under investigation for allegedly accepting bribes to provide inmates with phones and other prohibited items.
Minister Limbach must explain how someone obtained the necessary tools and why construction and technical security measures did not prevent the escape.
Opposition Social Democrat lawmaker Sonja Bongers said Limbach needed to explain how the prisoner obtained the tools and why construction and technical security measures failed to prevent the escape. Prison lawyer and author Burkhard Beneken told Bild that the escape did not surprise him because prison security measures had long been considered inadequate.
The prisoner had been convicted in connection with thefts involving valuable jewelry and about 200,000 euros in cash. German law does not generally punish the act of escaping prison itself, unless the escape involves other criminal offenses.
This escape does not surprise me. It has long been pointed out that the security measures in prisons are insufficient.
About this summary
Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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