3 December 2013: Mild Punishment for Soccer Hooligans; Mystery fire destroys local church; Basel’s Psychiatric Unit in trouble again; Will Basel’s pedestrian zones drive traders out of business?

 Of the 17 young supporters of FC Zurich, on trial recently for violent behaviour before, during and after a match with FC Basel in 2009, just two have to serve time in prison. The remainder escaped with little more than suspended prison sentences and suspended fines.

In one case it was said that a biometric examination would have confirmed whether one 26-year-old was guilty of attempted aggravated assault, breach of the peace and threats against public authorities and officials. However, the court took the view that the process would be too complicated and expensive – and so the man was set free altogether.

The men’s defence teams argued that the length of time it had taken to bring the case to court should lower eventual punishments. Accepting their complaints, the judge said that if the prosecutors’ office had released images of the various violent scenes onto the internet sooner, than the matter could have reached court much sooner.

None of the accused pleaded guilty to any of the major offences on the charge sheet. One of the ringleaders decided to enter the packed courtroom last Friday in disguise, gave journalists the finger and swore at them, while maintaining that psychological problems that led him to violent behaviour had now been successfully treated.

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A Fifty-One year old woman jumped from the Mittlererbrècke last week in a failed suicide attempt. Thanks to the rapid intervention of witnesses and the police she was rescued in time to save her life. The story however, does not end there. Apparently, the woman was an escapee from the residential facilities of Basel’s University psychiatric clinic. In addition, this was her tenth suicide attempt according to the woman's mother and, had in many previous instances, including this attempt, warned her care-givers she was suicidal and intended to jump into the rhine from the bridge. The woman's mother intends to bring suit against the UPK for negligence and the resulting damage the woman brought upon herself.

In September of this year the clinic launched a public relations campaign called “Get to Know Us Personally”. The initiative followed accusations of lax security after a patient stole a car a year ago and raced through the old town, killing one woman and injuring seven other people.

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The evangelical church in the German town of Eimeldingen, five kilometres north of Basel, has been gutted by a fire that took hold last Tuesday night. Although the building hadn’t been used for some time, and was in a state of disrepair, experts have already ruled out a technical fault, raising suspicions that the blaze was the work of an arsonist. It took firefighters more than an hour to get the flames under control, by which time the building and its 3-storey high 14th century spire were seriously damaged.

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Two cyclists were arrested in Münchenstein last Thursday after first fleeing from a police patrol. The men – two Rumanians in their 20s – were carrying not just housebreaking tools, but also goods they had earlier stolen from a house in Reinach. The Baselland prosecutor’s office is applying for a remand in custody until their case is heard.

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Police in Birsfelden stopped a car last Sunday evening after the vehicle appeared to be making a number of erratic manoeuvres while negotiating a turn – well after sunset - from one road into another. At the wheel was none other than a 12 year old boy – being taken out for his first spin by his father. Now both are in trouble with the authorities – the juvenile court for the youngster but an altogether more serious appearance at the big people’s prosecutor’s office for the boy’s dad.

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These days, if you find yourself in Marktplatz by the Rathaus which serves as both City Hall and a museum, you are free to walk in and explore the inner courtyard of the building. However, this liberty will soon come to an end, as the bureaucrats employed there have complained of being harassed by lost tourists and nagging citizens. The city has decided to erect a set of gates around the building's entrances at a cost of 200,000 CHF which will prevent all but properly credentialed employees from entering the building.

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As of next month new traffic rules in Basel will turn the central shopping area of town into a pedestrian zone. Good for some, maybe, but many traders say the new rules could put them out of business. The problem centres on the new restricted access by goods vehicles, which from the first of January, will only be allowed into the centre between 6 and 11 Monday to Friday, and 6 to 9 on Saturdays. Some of the quick turnaround businesses, such as florists, say this is so restrictive that it will drive customers away.

And the only ones who can apply for a special permit to access the narrow streets outside of these times are ones with their own private parking spaces – in other words, very few.

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