Fat Rat music group; Jakob Bossert plays on drums in the back. (source: Sme/YouTube - Walmea 1999)
The drummer Jakob "Jakel" Bossert was on stage with the band Fat Rat in Germany in the second weekend of July, the very weekend a perilous this year’s Pohoda festival in Trenčín, western Slovakia.
Bossert, whose name still echoes from a 2009 tragedy where a tent owned by his company collapsed at Pohoda, resulting in the deaths of two festival-goers, has found himself at the centre of a storm of controversy once again, as reported by the Sme daily.
The German businessman is facing charges in Slovakia 15 years after the incident that led to legal action.
In 2019, the prosecution of the businessman was abruptly halted due to claims of deteriorating mental health. Bossert's legal team has since painted a grim picture of his condition, citing psychological issues, debilitating anxiety, and troubling suicidal tendencies.
Earlier this year, the Regional Court in Trenčín, which questioned Bossert's health status and overturned the 2019 decision rendered by a district court in 2023, requested a fresh update on Bossert's condition.
The requested report must, for example, include a specification of the illnesses the accused suffers from, whether there remains an acute risk of suicide, and whether Bossert is receiving treatment in an inpatient or outpatient setting, writes the daily. The German's lawyers must submit the necessary documents by the end of July.
Meanwhile, according to the German's legal team, Bossert needs to be treated "very specifically" and approached through a "third party". However, as Sme notes, Bossert does not seem to have had any health issues during public interactions and appearances in recent years.
For example, in 2020, he gave an interview about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on his business.
"I've lost tents several times in storms and always managed to get back on my feet. But this is a situation where I no longer know what to do," he complained, naming several past tent-related incidents. He failed to mention the Pohoda accident.
The legal team representing the German individual declined to address inquiries on whether Bossert's domestic activities, including his concerts, align with the reported health issues he has faced. Furthermore, the team hinted at a potential distinction between Jakob Bossert and Jakel Bossert, suggesting that they could be separate individuals.
Jakel is an artistic pseudonym used by Bossert.
