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Drama in the castle: SEK operation after a brutal break-in in Taubenheim!
Break-in at Taubenheim Castle near Bautzen: SEK deployment after an employee was attacked. Trial begins against 24-year-old.
Drama in the castle: SEK operation after a brutal break-in in Taubenheim!
A huge police operation caused a stir on January 6, 2025 in Taubenheim, municipality of Sohland an der Spree. A break-in at Philippi Castle ended with the arrest of a 24-year-old Colombian who was seriously injured while escaping. During the attack on the property, which is used by Viktor Philippi for health courses and seminars, an employee was bound and gagged by the burglars before they could leave the castle. This triggered an immediate SEK operation because the woman warned of possible armed people, as MDR reports.
The situation quickly escalated when the perpetrators, equipped with pistols, entered the castle through a window. The Colombian and his accomplice were apparently after a safe. When the police arrived, the burglars had already fled, but the defendant injured himself jumping from the balcony and was arrested. The aggressive attack prompted security forces to shell the castle and provide air support from a helicopter. The operation, which also required special units to control the situation, lasted until 2:40 a.m., as Die Sachsen reports.
Background and investigations
According to the investigators' initial assessment, the available evidence pointed to a larger number of perpetrators. The criminal police are currently working intensively to clarify the background and other people involved. It was discovered that two other break-ins had already taken place in the area before the break-in in January, making the situation even more explosive.
The 24-year-old defendant, who has a previous conviction for drug-related offenses in Spain, is currently in custody and has not yet commented on the allegations. The trial at the Bautzen regional court has already begun, and a second day of trial is scheduled for June 25, 2025. The situation surrounding burglary statistics shows that such crimes in Germany have decreased compared to 2015, but an increase remains unmistakable after the corona pandemic. In 2023, Germany recorded around 119,000 residential burglaries, as the statistics service shows (Statista).
Break-in dynamics in Germany
The available figures show that residential burglaries are often associated with a massive threat to the victims, not only causing material damage but also violating the sense of security and privacy. With a clearance rate of only 14.9% for residential burglaries recorded in 2023, the police are required to take even better action against such crimes.
Despite the serious situation, it turned out that the castle employee remained uninjured despite the threatening situation. The events surrounding the break-in at Philippi Castle are an alarming sign of the danger that continues to affect many communities in Germany.