Criminal Helps Victims
January 2, 2007
Magnus Gäfgen, a convicted murderer sentenced to life imprisonment, has been granted preliminary permission to establish a foundation for young people. The foundation's aim is to help cover costs for children who have been victims of violent crimes and wish to seek legal action against their perpetrators.
Michael Heuchemer, Gäfgen's lawyer, is to head the foundation. He said no mention of Gäfgen or his former criminal acts would be made in connection with the foundation.
The Trier-based ADD -- a supervisory agency for the state of Rhineland-Palantinate -- had denied Gäfgen's original request in August 2006 to establish what he wanted to call the "Magnus Gäfgen Foundation." Agency officials said it would go against ethical codes of conduct since the organization with that name would be connected with the crimes Gäfgen committed.
Name change
Following Gäfgen's appeal of that decision, ADD has now granted Gäfgen preliminary permission to create his foundation under a different name, likely to be "Foundation to Aid Young Victims of Violence."
Gäfgen has said he will provide 25,000 euros to establish the foundation, and will likely become one of two deputy chairmen of the organization. He and his lawyer must now submit a formal application with foundation guidelines to the ADD authority.
Gäfgen kidnapped and murdered then 11-year-old Jakob von Metzler, son of a Frankfurt banker, in 2002. He had previously blackmailed the family for over one million euros ($1.3 million).