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The man served a large part of his sentence in the Pöschwies correctional facility in Regensdorf ZH.
Keystone
Therapy was supposed to help - but for a man from Bern it turned into an endless loop. Despite serving a two-year sentence, he remained in prison for 25 years. Now he is free.
A man from Bern was sentenced to two years in prison. He ended up spending a quarter of a century behind bars - until the Federal Supreme Court recently ordered his immediate release, as reported by the Berner Zeitung newspaper.
The man grew up in difficult circumstances and attacked his mother and an acquaintance in 2000 when he was 19 years old and intoxicated with drugs. Both were only slightly injured. He was then sentenced to 24 months in prison, but was initially supposed to undergo therapy. This failed and he was later diagnosed with an "emotionally unstable personality disorder".
Despite having served his sentence, he remained in custody - indefinitely. Correctional measures are intended to treat offenders and prevent relapses, but often lead to much longer imprisonment. "The worst thing [...] is the uncertainty," says criminologist Ineke Pruin to the Berner Zeitung newspaper. Anyone who is considered dangerous is unlikely to get rid of this label. "In case of doubt, the person remains locked up."
Expert reports described the man partly as "open" and partly as "hostile". Requests for release failed for a long time. It was not until 2023 that the detention was converted into therapy - but this also broke off. One report spoke of growing "tension and frustration".
In 2025, the authorities declared the measure to be "definitely futile" and wanted to put the Bernese man back in custody - but the Federal Supreme Court ordered his release almost two months ago. The period of imprisonment was "disproportionate".
The man has been free since February 2026 - unaccompanied by the authorities. An application by the Bernese authorities to have him detained again is still pending.
