Member of the fire department Solothurn man goes on trial for twelve arsons
A 35-year-old man is to stand trial today (Monday) at the Bucheggberg-Wasseramt SO district court for multiple counts of arson.
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- Today, Monday, a 35-year-old man will have to answer to the Bucheggberg-Wasseramt SO district court for multiple arson.
- The public prosecutor's office accuses the Swiss national of setting a total of twelve fires in the Wasseramt region in spring 2022.
- The accused, who was also a member of a local fire department, denies the allegations according to earlier statements by the public prosecutor's office.
The public prosecutor's office accuses the Swiss national of setting a total of twelve fires in the Wasseramt region in spring 2022. The series of fires caused a great deal of uncertainty, fear and mutual mistrust in Wasseramt, a rural region south of the cantonal capital of Solothurn.
From Saturday to Sunday in the period from April 3 to May 21, 2022 forest houses and the clubhouse of a hornussen club as well as warehouses burned. There were also arsons at a detached house, carpentry workshops and a school building. No people were injured.
Intensive police investigations led to the arrest of the suspected arsonist at the end of May 2022. Video footage from the surveillance system at the Kriegstetten school building, the site of the last arson, showed a person entering the school building - and leaving again shortly before the fire broke out.
The Solothurn public prosecutor's office has charged the Swiss national with multiple counts of arson. The sentence demanded by the public prosecutor's office is not known. The defense will also present its motion at the hearing at the district court.
Member of the fire department
The accused, who was also a member of a local fire department, denies the allegations according to earlier statements by the public prosecutor's office. However, there is an overwhelming burden of proof against the accused in five fires, according to the public prosecutor's office.
The accused was psychiatrically examined. He was temporarily remanded in custody. He successfully defended himself against this before the High Court. However, the public prosecutor's office obtained an order from the Federal Supreme Court that the man be monitored with the aid of an electronic GPS tracking device (electronic monitoring).
The Bucheggberg-Wasseramt district court is set to hand down its verdict against the man on Friday of this week.
SDA