A stabbing in Aschaffenburg, Germany, on Wednesday resulted in the deaths of two individuals—a 2-year-old boy and a 41-year-old German man—and injuries to three others. The assailant, a former asylum seeker slated for deportation, was apprehended.
Chancellor Scholz demanded accountability, stating that authorities must investigate why the suspect remained in the country. He emphasized the need for consequences following the attack, which occurred a month before a national election where immigration control is a key issue.
The attack, perpetrated with a kitchen knife just before noon in a park, targeted a group of kindergarten children. Bavaria’s top security official, Joachim Herrmann, confirmed the 2-year-old’s death and the death of the man who seemingly intervened. Two adults and a 2-year-old Syrian girl sustained injuries but are not in critical condition.
Passersby apprehended the suspect twelve minutes after the incident.
Herrmann identified the suspect as a 28-year-old Afghan national with a history of violence, having undergone psychiatric treatment on at least three occasions.
Arriving in Germany in November 2022 and applying for asylum early in 2023, the suspect had declared his intent to leave voluntarily on December 4th. Asylum proceedings were formally closed a week later, with an order for his departure.
Police are investigating the motive, with initial suspicions pointing towards the suspect’s psychiatric condition. A search of his room yielded no evidence of radical Islamic views, only medication consistent with his treatment.
The attack’s timing, a month before the national election, adds to its political sensitivity.
Scholz strongly condemned the “incomprehensible act of terror,” expressing frustration over recurring violence perpetrated by individuals seeking refuge in Germany. He demanded a thorough investigation into the suspect’s continued presence and insisted on “immediate consequences.”
Following previous attacks, Scholz has pledged to increase deportations of rejected asylum seekers.
Germany recently resumed deportations of Afghan nationals for the first time since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.