Drama in Rimbach: hostage in Volksbank - perpetrator arrested without resistance!

in Rimbach, Hesse, on January 7, 2025 there was a suspected hostage-taking in a Volksbank branch. A 36-year-old man held a 21-year-old bank employee against her will. The incident started around 8 a.m. and lasted about three hours before the police could intervene around 11 a.m. The perpetrator did not resist when he was arrested.

The man threatened the employee with a tool, but there was no injuries. The exact motives of the perpetrator are still unclear, especially whether he tried to capture money or made other demands. The police used a special task force (SEK) and a negotiating group and blocked federal road 38 in the affected area during the operation.

police and psychological care

The Geisel was taken into care after the incident and received psychological support. The woman's relatives were also looked after. The mayor of Rimbach, Holger Schmitt, was shocked by the incident in the small community. Interior Minister Roman Poseck praised the successful work of the police during the mission.

Currently it is examined whether it is a hostage -taking or a deprivation of freedom. The investigation also includes interrogations by witnesses and the possibility of a residential search of the suspect. At the time of the incident, the bank was usually closed on Tuesdays according to the homepage of the Volksbank, but employees were in the building. The background of the crime is not yet known.