Seven years following a devastating acid attack, a declaration of war has been issued. - Seven years post the corrosive assault incident
Let's dive into the saga of Bernhard Günther, a seasoned energy manager, who hasn't let the harsh reminders of the past deter him from pursuing justice. Seven long years have passed since his near-fatal sulfuric acid ambush in Haan, near Düsseldorf. In a bold stance, he's recently posted a challenge to the shadowy figure behind the crime on LinkedIn, promising to relentlessly chase them until they face justice.
Günther, now a supervisory board member at ThyssenKrupp, hasn't held back his criticism towards the investigative authorities, either. His frustration stems from the lack of serious inquiry in the professional environment of the known suspect, and the fact that they've never been questioned.
Adding fuel to the fire, the Wuppertal Public Prosecutor’s Office downgraded the attack from attempted homicide to bodily injury. The vast amount of highly concentrated sulfuric acid poured on him could've easily led to his demise through ingestion or inhalation. By downgrading the charge, they not only shortened the statute of limitations to ten years but also deprived themselves of investigative tools like telephone surveillance. The mystery surrounding this heinous crime has been highlighted in a provocative three-part documentary titled "The Sulfuric Acid Attack," now available in the media library.
Highly concentrated sulfuric acid
On the fateful day of March 4, 2018, two men laid in wait for Günther near his private home after his Sunday jog, and without hesitation, they poured highly concentrated sulfuric acid on him. Günther faced severe injuries and nearly went blind during his recovery.
The two attackers responsible for the 2018 sulfuric acid attack in Haan were sentenced to eleven and twelve years in prison by the Wuppertal Regional Court, with the understanding that they intended to make Günther go blind.
At the time, Günther was the chief financial officer of energy company Innogy, which was later absorbed by the Eon group a few days later. Günther remains steadfast in his belief that he was a target in a professional conspiracy. The mastermind behind it aimed to eliminate him as a threat in the career race.
Two attacks during a professional transition period
Günther had already experienced an attack by unknown assailants in 2012. In an interview with the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ), he explained that both attacks occurred during critical moments in his career transition at RWE and Innogy's boards.
He hopes that the television documentary will renew interest in his case, said Günther, who continues to grapple with the long-lasting consequences of the attack. In the past year and a half, he's had to undergo two additional operations on his eyelids.
Alas, the cloudy landscape of this horrific crime remains shrouded in mystery. Publicly accessible search results and information sources offer no leads on the identity of the mastermind behind the attack or the current status of the investigation. The hunt for justice continues...
- Despite the passage of seven years, Bernhard Günther, an energy manager and now a supervisory board member at ThyssenKrupp, continues his relentless pursuit for Justice, actively engaging the suspected mastermind through LinkedIn.
- The Wuppertal Public Prosecutor’s Office’s decision to downgrade the 2018 sulfuric acid attack on Günther from attempted homicide to bodily injury, though reducing the statute of limitations to ten years, also limited their investigative tools like telephone surveillance.
- In the course of his career transition, Bernhard Günther, then a chief financial officer of energy company Innogy, had previous encounters with unknown assailants in 2012, before the 2018 sulfuric acid attack, fueling his belief in a potential professional conspiracy against him.
