Zug stakes claim to killer’s estate

Fifteen people died in the September Zug parliament massacre Keystone Archive

The authorities of canton Zug, faced with major expenses after the parliament massacre which left 15 dead, have laid claim to the killer's estate.

The cost of helping the victims and their families has been estimated to be around SFr6 million (€4.06 million). The canton wishes to put up another SFr2 million to help in cases of financial hardship.

Friederich Leibacher entered the canton’s parliament on September 27, and opened fire with a rifle, killing 11 members of the assembly, three government ministers and injuring 15 others before taking his own life.

To cover part of the outlay, the authorities staked their claim soon after the massacre. “We had to act quickly, because the amount of time to file a request is very short,” said Tino Jorio, the cantonal chancellor.

The canton addressed its request to the district court in Zurich, where Leibacher lived. The killer’s estate has been estimated at SFr400,000 by the tabloid “Blick”.

The authorities have so far spent SFr2 million helping the victims, a sum which should have doubled by the end of the year. Donations worth SFr280,000 have been received, a quarter of which has been used for urgent needs not covered by the legal funding.

The canton asked the regional parliament to approve the extra millions on Wednesday, saying the state has a moral responsibility to help the victims. The families of the deceased ministers are not covered by this supplementary aid.

The Zug assembly will soon be complete for the first time since the massacre. The five remaining seats have been filled without the end for by-elections and the new members will be sworn in officially at the end of the month.

swissinfo with agencies