At an anti-war demonstration, the Swiss man hit a woman in the face with his fist.Image: Screenshot Instagram
June 10, 2026, 10:24June 10, 2026, 10:24
At the CANSEC defense conference in Ottawa 2024, a Swiss citizen and employee of the defense company Rheinmetall attacked a 21-year-old Canadian demonstrator. Now he faces time behind bars. In court, the 58-year-old blamed his low blood sugar and post-traumatic stress disorder from the military for the crime and demanded a pardon. That reports CBC News.
The woman demonstrated before the conference against the war in the Gaza Strip. There she met the employee of the arms company, whom she accused of “actively supporting a genocide,” writes “CBC News.” He then hit her in the face with his fist. The man wanted to return to the conference but was arrested by the police.
The injured woman testified in court that she was the victim of a “targeted attack that was intended to hurt and silence me,” writes CBC News.
In his plea, the Swiss referred to the statements of his psychiatrist. According to the psychiatrist, he had become “irritable” due to his low blood sugar. His previous military experience left him with post-traumatic stress disorder, particularly a fear of crowds. Already during the court hearing, the victim’s many supporters in the room had made him fearful.
However, the leading public prosecutor replied that the diagnosis was based solely on information provided by the defendant. He dismissed the doctor’s findings as a perpetrator-victim reversal and anti-Palestinian prejudice. (Nile)