Noël Martin

Noël Martin ( * July 23, 1959 in Jamaica), a British- Jamaican building contractor from Edgbaston, Birmingham, was born on June 16, 1996 victim of a racist attack in Mahlow, Brandenburg. He has since become a serious nursing care.

The insidious attack

A 17 - and 24- year-old German had him and two black colleagues insulted at the station of Mahlow. To avoid fisticuffs, Martin led his friends to entry into its cars as they drove away, the young people took the pursuit in a stolen car. First they tried to push Martins car off the road, finally they threw a boulder into the rear side window. Martin thus lost control of his vehicle overturned and crashed into a tree. Since Noël Martin is a paraplegic from the head downwards. His two passengers were only slightly injured.

The court judgment and the consequences

The district court sentenced the perpetrators Potsdam in December 1996 due to the dangerous intervention in the road and serious injury to prison terms of five to eight years. Noël Martin received a financial compensation and receive a monthly pension from Germany.

Activities against racism

Action Noteingang

These and other attacks reported in Mahlow led to the creation of the initiative AG tolerant Mahlow and the action Noteingang, who was honored in 2000 with the Aachen Peace Prize. In 2001 Martin stimulated an exchange between young people from the region and his hometown of Birmingham. The state of Brandenburg are spending any money in the Noël and Jacqueline Martin Fund.

Foundation of Jacqueline and Noël Martin Foundation

Noël Martin now lives in Birmingham. There he was cared for by his girlfriend Jacqueline Shields five years. Jacqueline died on 12 April 2000, two days after her marriage, from cancer. After the above-mentioned Fund was continued by the Great orphanage in Potsdam as a foundation, transferred the Brandenburg state government, represented by the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Holger Rupprecht, head of the Foundation " Great orphanage in Potsdam ", represented by the Deputy Managing Director Gesine Hanebuth - Schubert and Noël Martin the Fund on 14 July 2008 in the Jacqueline and Noël Martin Foundation.

Unclear future

In June 2006, Martin announced that he would retire voluntarily on 23 July 2007 ( his 48th birthday) with the help of the Swiss organization Dignitas out of life. The project was suspended because Martin is not able to travel and still needs to settle some things with the foundation he launched in England. He still sees the continuation of life no perspective, on the other hand, he celebrated now in the circle of friends his 50th birthday. The tasks associated with his foundation and the hope of a wheelchair adapted to his needs even more communication options, give him time and again, a little bit of will to live.

Despite his paraplegia Noël Martin continues to operate his race horse breeding. In Ascot he caused a stir in 2006, when his horse Baddam won the most important horses races of the world.

On 23 April 2007 his autobiography was introduced to the public in the presence of Noël Martin's son Martin Negus by the Prime Minister of Brandenburg Matthias Platzeck. His life and in particular his book to be included in Germany and in many other countries with great sympathy. The film adaptation of his book is planned.