A 35-year-old Serbian inmate nicknamed "Spiderman" escaped Duisburg prison by removing a third-floor window bar, crawling along a higher ledge and jumping from the roof into a street tree, officials say. Justice Minister Benjamin Limbach described the route as life-threatening and requiring exceptional agility. Authorities are reviewing prison security and have asked Duisburg to prune trees; an unconfirmed tip suggests a relative may have smuggled a sawing tool.
“Spiderman” Escape: 35-Year-Old Serbian Flees Duisburg Jail by Climbing Roof and Jumping Into Tree
A view of the Duisburg-Hamborn prison, where an inmate has escaped through the roof. (is associated with: «'Spiderman' prisoner escaped from German jail via roof and a tree») Christoph Reichwein/dpa
A 35-year-old Serbian inmate who reportedly called himself "Spiderman" escaped from a prison in Duisburg, western Germany, last week by removing a window bar, climbing to the roof and jumping into a tree, officials said.
Benjamin Limbach, the justice minister for North Rhine-Westphalia, told the state parliament's legal affairs committee that the prisoner remains at large after the dramatic breakout.
According to investigators, the inmate removed a metal bar from a third-floor window, crawled along the fourth-floor ledge and reached the roof. From there, they believe he jumped into a tree on the street in front of the jail to make his getaway.
"The narrowness of the gap and the considerable height involved show the route was life-threatening and required a high level of agility and dexterity from the prisoner," Limbach said. "One could say very few people would be capable of such an escape."
Authorities are reviewing security measures across the state's prison network and examining how the metal bar could have been removed. Limbach said officials have asked the city of Duisburg to prune the trees lining the road outside the prison to reduce escape opportunities.
A fellow inmate has told investigators the escapee may have been given an "expensive sawing tool" during a visit by a relative, but that claim has not been confirmed, Limbach said. The search for the fugitive is ongoing.
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