Germany Federal prosecutor's office takes over Solingen investigation
Following the fatal knife attack in Solingen, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office has taken over the case and is investigating the suspect for murder and suspected membership of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia. This was announced by a spokeswoman for Germany's highest prosecuting authority to the German Press Agency in Karlsruhe.
25.08.2024, 11:00
SDA
According to the police, a 26-year-old man handed himself in to the investigating authorities on Saturday evening. The man claimed to be responsible for the attack. The involvement of this person is being intensively investigated. According to the Düsseldorf police on Sunday morning, the suspect is a 26-year-old Syrian. According to dpa information, he was wearing bloodstained clothing when he turned himself in. The crime scene in the city center was still cordoned off on Sunday morning. In the morning, hundreds of people gathered for a funeral service.
Suspect came to Germany at the end of 2022 and applied for asylum
On Friday evening, a man apparently stabbed bystanders at random at an anniversary celebration to mark the 650th anniversary of the founding of the city of Solingen - the "Festival of Diversity". He then escaped in the commotion and initial panic. Two men, aged 67 and 56, and a 56-year-old woman died. Eight people were injured, four of them seriously. The terrorist militia IS claimed responsibility for the attack, but the security authorities have not yet confirmed an Islamist motive.
As reported by Der Spiegel, the suspect came to Germany at the end of 2022 and applied for asylum. According to the report, he was not previously known to the security authorities as an Islamist extremist. This information was confirmed to the German Press Agency.
NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) said on ARD's "Tagesthemen" on Saturday evening after the arrest of the wanted man that he himself was a little relieved. "I can only tell you that it is now more than just a hunch. Not only did we have a lead on this person, but we also found pieces of evidence."
IS speaks of "revenge for Muslims in Palestine and elsewhere"
In a statement on its Amak propaganda channel, the Islamic State claimed that the attacker was an IS member and had carried out the attack out of "revenge for Muslims in Palestine and elsewhere". The attack was aimed at a "group of Christians".
According to the Düsseldorf police, they also received an alleged letter of confession from IS. A police spokesman said that it was now necessary to check whether this letter was genuine. Investigators have pointed out that IS has often claimed responsibility for an attack in the past without there being any reliable evidence of cooperation with the perpetrator.
IS presumably refers to the war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas with the "revenge for Muslims in Palestine". Neither IS nor the Al-Qaeda terrorist network have any alliances with the Islamist Hamas. However, according to the security authorities, the dangers of terrorism and radicalization in the Islamic world have increased as a result of the months-long war in Gaza. Alongside the USA, Germany is one of Israel's most important allies and also one of its most important arms suppliers.
At a press conference in Wuppertal on Saturday afternoon, Chief Public Prosecutor Markus Caspers said the following about the background to the crime: "We have not yet been able to identify a motive, but based on the overall circumstances, we assume that the initial suspicion of a terrorist-motivated crime cannot be ruled out."
Many proceedings on Islamist terrorism at the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office
The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office is responsible, among other things, for acts of Islamist-motivated terrorism. Federal Public Prosecutor General Jens Rommel identified this as one of the main threats to Germany in his office's annual report. According to Rommel, almost 500 of the more than 700 investigations initiated last year in the area of terrorism and state security concerned Islamist terrorism. "Germany continues to be a target for radicalized Islamists," according to the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office. The spectrum ranges from individually radicalized perpetrators to conspiratorial terror cells.
The police had already searched a refugee shelter in Solingen on Saturday evening "with the involvement of special forces". One person who is said to have had contact with the perpetrator was taken to a police station, the Düsseldorf police announced. According to current information, it is a witness.
A 15-year-old youth was arrested early on Saturday morning. He may be charged with failing to report planned crimes.
The crime in Solingen caused great shock throughout Germany. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke of a "terrible crime". "We must not accept something like this in our society and never accept it. The full force of the law must be applied here," said the SPD politician at a meeting in Brandenburg.
FDP minister announces consultations on knife crime
Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann announced consultations on the weapons law for knives. "We will now discuss in the federal government how we can further advance the fight against this type of knife crime," the FDP politician told Bild am Sonntag. So far, the FDP has rejected the proposals of Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) for stricter bans.
The SPD is demanding a significant tightening of the laws. Accordingly, knives should only be allowed to be carried in public up to a blade length of six centimetres instead of the previous twelve centimetres. There should be a general ban on handling dangerous switchblade knives.
