Germany Hundreds remember the victims after Magdeburg's death drive
One day after the death drive at the Christmas market in Magdeburg, numerous people remembered the victims at a memorial service. They gathered for a service of mourning in Magdeburg Cathedral. Among them was German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Meanwhile, more details about the shocking crime are coming to light. The motive of the alleged perpetrator could have been dissatisfaction with the treatment of refugees from Saudi Arabia in Germany, said Horst Walter Nopens, Chief Public Prosecutor in Magdeburg.
21.12.2024, 21:20
SDA
The public prosecutor's office is now investigating the suspect for five counts of murder. The charge is also attempted murder in 200 cases in conjunction with grievous bodily harm, according to Nopens. The suspect is currently in police custody. He has already made a statement about the crime. He is still to be brought before a magistrate.
The car crashed into a crowd of people at a Christmas market at high speed on Friday evening. According to the authorities, four adults and a nine-year-old child were killed. There were a total of 205 victims, including 5 fatalities. Minister President Reiner Haseloff (CDU) spoke of an "inhuman attack". According to information from the city, the victims were taken to 15 hospitals, including Brandenburg.
City defends security concept
Tom-Oliver Langhans, the director of the Magdeburg police station, reported that the suspected perpetrator is said to have reached the Christmas market in his car via an escape and rescue route. The journey only took around three minutes until the arrest.
According to the city, the escape route was not protected by barriers or bollards. Emergency doctors and the fire department should be able to access the square via this route in the event of accidents or other operations, explained Ronni Krug, the city's deputy for personnel, citizen services and order. However, mobile emergency services were stationed there. The concept had "proven itself over many years".
Suspect granted asylum
The suspect arrested that evening was Taleb A., a doctor from Bernburg who comes from Saudi Arabia. The man is an activist critical of Islam. According to the German Press Agency, the 50-year-old, who has lived in Germany since 2006, describes himself as an ex-Muslim. According to the report, he applied for asylum in February 2016 and a decision was made in July of the same year. At the time, the Saudi citizen was granted asylum as a politically persecuted person.
In social media and interviews, Taleb A. has recently made accusations against the German authorities, some of which were formulated in a confused manner. Among other things, he accused them of not doing enough to combat Islamism. As a spokeswoman for the healthcare company Salus explained on request, the 50-year-old worked as a psychiatric specialist in a psychiatric hospital in Bernburg. He had worked with addicted offenders and had been working at the facility since March 2020.
The man was confronted and arrested at the scene of the crime by emergency services after the drive. According to the current state of the investigation, a second perpetrator can be ruled out, said a police spokesperson in Magdeburg.
Warning from Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia had warned Germany about Taleb A., according to Saudi security circles. The kingdom had requested his extradition, to which Germany had not responded. The man comes from the city of Al-Hofuf in eastern Saudi Arabia. He was a Shiite. Only around ten percent of the population in the predominantly Sunni country are Shiite. There are repeated reports of discrimination against Shiites in the country. Saudi Arabia condemned the deadly attack in a statement on X - the country did not mention the suspect in the statement.
Berlin judiciary knew Taleb A.
According to dpa information, there were also proceedings against Taleb A. by the Berlin public prosecutor's office for misuse of emergency calls by Taleb A.. "Der Spiegel" had reported first. The defendant was accused of dialing the emergency number for the fire department at the Berlin police station in February without there being an emergency. An application was therefore made to the Tiergarten district court for a penalty order, which was issued with 20 daily rates of 30 euros each.
The defendant lodged an objection. According to the Berlin public prosecutor's office, the defendant did not appear at the main hearing last Thursday (December 19). The objection was rejected at the request of the public prosecutor's office.
Scholz promises clarification
According to Haseloff, the man drove a rental car into the crowd during the attack. The newspaper "Bild" wrote, citing the police, that the drive on the site had extended over 400 meters. Searches were being carried out, a spokeswoman said.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) spoke of a "terrible, insane act" during a visit to the site. There is no more peaceful and cheerful place than a Christmas market. Now it is important to investigate with precision and accuracy, said Scholz. "Nothing must remain uninvestigated - and that's how it will be." The perpetrator, his actions and motives must be understood precisely and the criminal consequences must be applied.
Haseloff wants to help victims
Minister-President Haseloff wants to help the victims and relatives of the death drive. His cabinet has decided on "financial and organizational resources", said Haseloff. Discussions had been held with the Chancellor on what form the federal government's help and support would take.
The city of Magdeburg and charities had set up donation accounts for the victims and those affected. The city explained that the aim was to provide support to those affected as quickly as possible. The Federal Government's Victims' Commissioner, Pascal Kober, is taking care of those affected after the death drive. If necessary, psychosocial and practical help will be provided, the Federal Ministry of Justice announced.
There is great sympathy after the crime in Magdeburg. According to initial police estimates, more than 1,000 people took part in the commemoration in front of the state capital's cathedral alone that evening. A large video screen was set up for them, on which the service was broadcast. Afterwards, Mayor Simone Borris (non-party) said: "I hope that we as a city society will not let this affect us."
However, right-wing slogans were also mixed into the commemoration in the city center that evening. According to an initial estimate by the police, around 1,000 participants gathered in a central square in the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt. There was also international sympathy. Several heads of state and government expressed their sympathy, including US President Joe Biden.
In many places in Germany, the question arose as to how safe Christmas markets are. Speaking on ZDF television in the evening, Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) said that the federal states now wanted to look at "where we need to strengthen our Christmas markets and where we need to increase police presence again, but only where necessary", depending on the situation. Faeser continued: "I therefore assume that we can continue to go to Christmas markets."
Around eight years after the Berlin Christmas market attack
Almost eight years ago to the day, on December 19, 2016, an Islamist terrorist drove a hijacked truck into the Christmas market on Breitscheidplatz in Berlin. Twelve people were killed, the 13th victim died as a result in 2021. More than 70 people were injured. The attacker fled to Italy, where he was shot dead by the police. The Berlin police now want to increase their presence at Berlin's Christmas markets.
