Bavaria Many unanswered questions - suspect before investigating judge
The Bavarian capital of Munich is in shock - and is looking for answers as to why a man drove a car into a demonstration in the city center. At least 30 people were injured on Thursday, some of them seriously.
14.02.2025, 03:11
SDA
The 24-year-old Afghan man suspected of the crime has been arrested and is to be brought before an investigating judge today. Will there be any clues as to his motive? The police plan to provide information at a press conference later this morning. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is expected to attend a silent memorial at the scene of the crime.
Scholz promises faster deportations
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) expressed his dismay at the crime and promised to quickly deport the man to his home country. "Anyone who does not have German citizenship here and commits crimes of this kind must also expect that we will bring him back from this country, take him away and deport him," said Scholz on Thursday evening on the ZDF program "Klartext".
This also expressly applies to the suspect, Scholz emphasized. "Because we will certainly see him sentenced by the courts and before he leaves prison, he will also be returned to his home country," the Chancellor assured. Although this procedure is currently "not easy", it will be implemented, said Scholz. Germany is already organizing deportation flights to Afghanistan.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) also stated that deportations to Afghanistan would continue. The crime in Munich still needed to be investigated further, but it was already clear: "It was another young Afghan, we must react with the full force of the law." Faeser said that it was unacceptable for people to come to Germany and commit crimes here.
Residence permit since 2021
On the day of the crime, there had initially been confusion about the suspect's residence status. In the evening, it became clear that the young Afghan had a valid residence permit and a work permit, according to Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU). "This means that the perpetrator's stay was absolutely legal up to the present day according to the current state of knowledge."
At the same time, the minister reported that, according to the latest findings and contrary to initial information, the man had not been found guilty of shoplifting. According to Herrmann, the Afghan came to Germany at the end of 2016 as an unaccompanied minor refugee. His asylum procedure was finally concluded in 2020 with a rejection notice and an order to leave the country. However, the state capital of Munich then issued a toleration notice in April 2021 and a residence permit in October 2021. The young man had attended school, completed vocational training and worked as a store detective for two security companies.
There was therefore initially a misunderstanding, precisely because the man had appeared in several shoplifting trials. "He was not a suspect himself, but a witness," Herrmann clarified.
Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) said on ZDF television in the evening that the suspect had "probably been rather inconspicuous so far". "He was not obliged to leave the country." Söder continued: "And even previous extremist backgrounds are not so easily recognizable at first glance." Therefore, further investigations must now be carried out to determine the reason for this terrible and horrific act.
Man overtook police car
According to the police, the alleged attack took place on Thursday: At around 10.30 a.m., the man initially drove behind the demonstration, overtook a police car that was supposed to secure the group, accelerated - and drove into the end of the demonstration procession, to which several people had also brought their young children. The police fired in the direction of the suspect and arrested him.
The demonstration had been organized by Verdi - as part of the warning strikes in the public sector. According to the police, 1,500 people were on their way to the final rally at Königsplatz when the car plowed into the crowd. The union did not want to cancel its events planned for today in Bavaria.
On Thursday evening, flowers were laid at the scene and candles were lit. The vehicle involved was taken away in a tow truck. Forensics officers and the State Office of Criminal Investigation were on duty until late into the night.
The security conference is due to begin today in Munich - not far from the scene of the crime. It was initially unclear whether there would be any concrete consequences for the meeting of more than 60 heads of state and government.
