**Pre-trial Detention in Villingen-Schwenningen**

**Press Release from the Schwarzwald-Baar Public Prosecutor's Office**

**Reason for Detention: Preparation of a Serious Violent Crime**

The public prosecutor's office in Villingen-Schwenningen has arrested a man on suspicion of preparing for a serious crime of violence. The full investigation is ongoing.

According to the investigation, the accused is suspected of preparing a planned attack, which could have caused numerous fatalities, on a target yet to be determined. The man, a German citizen living in Villingen-Schwenningen, was arrested on Tuesday, March 15, 2023, by the Rottweil criminal police in cooperation with special forces of the state police.

The arrest is the result of intensive investigations involving several police departments. The confiscated evidentiary material first led to the acquisition of the arrest warrant and is now being evaluated by the public prosecutor's office. The search is also continuing at the suspect's residence in Villingen-Schwenningen.

To protect the interests of the investigation, the public prosecutor's office will not provide details at this time on the specifics of the planned crime or the investigation itself. The investigation is currently ongoing.

**Background on Pre-trial Detention**

Pre-trial detention is a measure taken by law enforcement to hold a suspect in custody before their trial. It is used to ensure that the suspect does not flee or interfere with the investigation.

In Germany, pre-trial detention is governed by the Code of Criminal Procedure (Strafprozessordnung, StPO). Section 112 of the StPO sets out the conditions for pre-trial detention, which include:

• There is a reasonable suspicion that the suspect has committed a crime
• There is a risk that the suspect may flee or interfere with the investigation
• The crime is punishable by imprisonment for more than one year

If these conditions are met, the court may order the suspect to be held in pre-trial detention. The suspect has the right to challenge the pre-trial detention order, and the court will review the order every four weeks to ensure that it is still necessary.

**Contact Information**

Public Prosecutor's Office Villingen-Schwenningen
Press Office
Phone: +49 7721 910-110
Email: pressestelle@sta-vs.justiz.bwl.de