After a knife attack in an elementary school in Esslingen, southeast of Stuttgart, a court wants to find out more about the possible reasons for the crime last June.

The alleged perpetrator, a 25-year-old man, has to answer to the district court in Stuttgart from today. He is said to have attacked the school's holiday care on June 10 and attacked a seven-year-old girl at the entrance to the building. A caregiver was also injured trying to help.

The motive for the crime is so far unclear. The public prosecutor accuses the man of attempted murder and dangerous bodily harm. According to the investigation, the girl had been hit several times with the blade of a kitchen knife on the back of the head and neck and seriously injured. The then 61-year-old supervisor also suffered injuries from the knife.

Possibly less responsible

However, it is still unclear whether the German-born man with a Dutch passport can be held responsible for the crime at school. Because according to the public prosecutor's office, there are indications that he could be less criminally responsible and dangerous because of a mental disorder or mental illness. According to the police, however, it is certain that the girl concerned was a random victim. The supervisor is said not to have been known to the man from Esslingen.

According to the public prosecutor, the alleged perpetrator fled after the attack, but later approached a passer-by and asked him to alert the police because he was responsible for the crime in Esslingen.

The scene of the crime, the Katharinenschule, is an all-day school on the edge of Esslingen's old town. At that time, children were cared for at school during the Pentecost holidays.