Uncertain and pressures appear to be growing among people because of the coronavirus outbreak, and the impact is hard to bear. This has been the case with Germany’s Hesse state finance minister, Thomas Schaefer, who committed suicide over the weekend.

Growing pressure about COVID-19 push minister to suicide

According to the states’ premier Volker Bouffier, the 54-year old committed suicide after he became increasingly worried about ways to cope following the economic fallout resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. He was found near a railway track in Wiesbaden, and police indicated that it was suicide. The premier indicated that they didn’t believe what had happened, and they were in shock of the development.

Witnesses first reported the presence of the body on the railway track to paramedics who could not identify the body at first because of the extent of injuries. Investigators identified the home as Schaefer but didn’t immediately offer details about the investigation.

Apparently, Thomas left a suicide note referencing the reasons for home committing suicide. It appears that the pressure of dealing with the economic impact of the coronavirus became too much for him.  

Schaefer has been in politics for two decades

Hesse state is the home of Frankfurt, the financial capital of Germany, where leading lenders such as Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank are headquartered. Also, the European Central Bank headquartered in Frankfurt. Schaefer was a member of the center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) and has been in politics in over two decades. He has been Hesse’s finance minister for over ten years and was expected to succeed Bouffier if he was to stand for elections in 2023.

Bouffier indicated that the minister had been under deep worries and stress regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. He was growingly becoming concerns about whether he could manage to meet the expectations of the people regarding financial aid. He didn’t see a way out and was very disappointed, pushing him to take his life.