Der Entführer und Mörder im Fall Jakob von Metzler
In September 2002, German law student Magnus Gäfgen kidnapped and murdered 11-year-old Jakob von Metzler in Frankfurt am Main. The case became internationally notorious not only for the brutal crime itself, but also for the police's use of torture threats during interrogation, sparking a major debate about state power and human rights.
The Case of Jakob von Metzler
On September 27, 2002, Magnus Gäfgen, then a 24-year-old law student, kidnapped 11-year-old Jakob von Metzler in Frankfurt am Main. Gäfgen lured the boy into his car after school under false pretenses and took him to a boat dock at Langener Waldsee. There he suffocated Jakob shortly after the kidnapping and hid the body under a pier.
Gäfgen, who was suffering from substantial debts and could no longer finance his extravagant lifestyle, demanded a ransom of one million euros from Jakob's wealthy parents. The von Metzler family, desperate for their son's life, handed over the money on September 30, 2002 at a tram stop. Gäfgen was arrested by police shortly after the ransom exchange.
The Controversial Torture Threat
The Gäfgen case became known internationally not only because of the brutal crime itself, but also because of the investigation methods used. Wolfgang Daschner, the then Frankfurt police vice president, ordered that torture be threatened against Gäfgen in order to learn the whereabouts of Jakob, who was believed to possibly still be alive at that time.
Under this threat, Gäfgen confessed to the crime and led investigators to the boy's body. This torture threat sparked an intense debate about the limits of constitutional law and police brutality. Daschner was later convicted of coercion in office and fined, though many members of the public showed understanding for his actions.
Trial and Verdict
In July 2003, Magnus Gäfgen was sentenced to life imprisonment with particularly grave guilt by the Frankfurt am Main Regional Court for murder and extortion. The court found it proven that Gäfgen acted out of base motives—pure greed—and had planned the murder from the outset.
