A tragic stabbing in a German park has left a two-year-old boy and a 41-year-old man dead. Authorities have arrested a 28-year-old Afghan man in connection with the attack, which occurred in the Bavarian city of Aschaffenburg.
The incident, which took place around 11:45 AM local time at Schöntal Park, also left two others, including another child, seriously injured. The park was quickly cordoned off by police.
Joachim Herrmann, Bavaria’s interior minister, confirmed that the suspect had been detained multiple times for violent behavior in the past but had been released after receiving psychiatric treatment. He was supposed to be deported to Afghanistan after his asylum application was rejected.
This stabbing marks the latest in a series of fatal knife attacks in Germany in recent months, coming just weeks before the federal elections on February 23.
Markus Söder, the Bavarian state premier, condemned the attack as a “cowardly and despicable act,” noting that the suspect had a history of mental health issues. He also clarified that the boy was of Moroccan descent and that the man killed was a German passerby who had been caught in the attack.
The suspect was arrested near the scene, and authorities initially detained another individual, who is now considered a witness. A search of the suspect’s room revealed no signs of radical Islamic motivation.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz, while in France, expressed his outrage over the “unbelievable act of terror,” emphasizing his frustration with the frequency of such violent incidents. He also questioned why the suspect was still in Germany despite the pending deportation.
The German government faces increasing pressure to address immigration issues, particularly following several fatal attacks. This has fueled intense debate ahead of the upcoming elections, where the far-right, anti-immigration AfD party is currently second in the polls.
The incident follows other recent attacks, including a December car attack in Magdeburg that killed five people, and a stabbing in Solingen in August, which also involved a suspect facing deportation.
