World

Freiamt AG: Man Declared Criminally Irresponsible for Five Arson Fires

Herz — World Desk · 26 August 2026 at 07:56 · 30s summary · 2 min read

The essentials

During the night of August 11–12, 2025, five arson fires erupted in the Freiamt region of Aargau, Switzerland, across the municipalities of Uezwil, Wohlen, and Büttikon. A 31-year-old Swiss national was arrested the following morning. A psychiatric-legal expert assessment concluded that he was in a state of acute psychosis at the time and declared him criminally irresponsible, which excludes any criminal penalty. On August 26, 2026, the Public Prosecutor's Office of Muri-Bremgarten filed a request with the District Court of Bremgarten for a long-term outpatient psychiatric treatment measure to be imposed.

Five arson fires erupted in Freiamt, Aargau during the night of August 11–12, 2025
A 31-year-old Swiss national arrested on August 12, 2025, charged with five counts of arson
Declared criminally irresponsible: acute psychotic state documented at time of fires
Outpatient psychiatric treatment measure requested on August 26, 2026
District Court of Bremgarten must still rule on the prosecutor's request

What We Know

During the night of August 11–12, 2025, five fires erupted over several hours in the Freiamt region of Aargau, affecting the municipalities of Uezwil, Wohlen, and Büttikon. The targets included a pile of wood, a service station depot, combustible materials, and a truck.

Firefighters quickly brought the fires under control, preventing larger-scale damage in some cases. Nonetheless, considerable material damage was caused, particularly to the service station and the truck.

Because of the temporal and geographic proximity of the fires, police concluded they were deliberate and connected. A suspect was arrested early on August 12, 2025, and criminal proceedings were opened immediately against him.

The suspect is a 31-year-old Swiss national charged with five counts of arson, some of which remain at the attempted stage.

The Suspect's Mental State

A psychiatric-legal expert assessment concluded that the suspect was criminally irresponsible at the time of the crimes—meaning no criminal penalty can be imposed under law.

The expert noted that the man suffers from a paranoid-hallucinatory disorder and was experiencing an acute psychotic episode with diminished impulse control at the time of the fires.

The Legal Proceedings

On August 26, 2026, the Public Prosecutor's Office of Muri-Bremgarten concluded its investigation and filed a request with the District Court of Bremgarten.

The request concerns an outpatient treatment measure—that is, long-term psychiatric treatment outside detention—aimed at reducing the risk of reoffending, in accordance with the psychiatric expert's recommendations.

The presumption of innocence remains in force until the court's decision.

What is criminal irresponsibility?

According to the psychiatric expert assessment in the file, criminal irresponsibility refers to a mental state that, at the time of the acts, excludes any penalty under law. The prosecutor may then request a therapeutic measure in place of a criminal sentence.

What is an outpatient treatment measure?

According to the prosecutor's request, it is long-term psychiatric treatment conducted outside detention, with the objective of reducing the risk of reoffending.

What is the next step in the proceedings?

The District Court of Bremgarten must rule on the outpatient treatment measure request filed on August 26, 2026. The presumption of innocence applies until that decision.