A German state, Saarland, is preparing to become the first European nation to legalize cannabis. - A person involved in a knife attack in Zug has surrendered.
Following a knife assault on a local train in Saarland, the presumed assailant is scheduled to face a judicial inquiry on Tuesday. The 32-year-old suspect turned himself in at the Saarbrücken central train station on Monday night, leading to his arrest, as confirmed by the authorities. No clue regarding the potential motive has been disclosed yet.
The prosecutor's office is presently probing the accused for attempted murder, as mentioned in their announcement. The perpetrator is a Turkish national who had no prior contact with law enforcement, based on current information. He supposedly assaulted a 21-year-old guy on the train Monday night with a knife, inflicting serious but non-fatal injuries. The 21-year-old received a stab wound to his neck area.
The victim and suspect appear to be unfamiliar with one another. They were seated opposite each other in a four-seat group on the train.
According to reports, federal police officers initially tended to the injured 21-year-old. Following first aid, he was transported to the hospital and underwent surgery. It's believed that there were witnesses to the incident, the spokeswoman said.
The incident took place shortly before the train arrived at the central station in Saarbrücken. As the train arrived, the culprit fled. The spokeswoman confirmed that the suspect was hunted down for about two hours before eventually surrendering.
Political initiative against knife attacks
On Tuesday, the Saarland Interior Minister Reinhold Jost (SPD) revealed that Saarland would be joining the Lower Saxony initiative in the Bundesrat on Friday and agreeing to it. "We believe that we must stand up through a Weapons Act reform for stricter knife control in public places," said Jost.
The proposed measures encompass a general prohibition on spring knives, an extension of the weapon carrying ban to knives with fixed blades longer than 6 centimeters, and a blanket ban on knives across all means of public transportation and at train stations (provided they are not contained within a closed container). Additionally, the state administration will enforce measures to create knife-free zones in Saarland.
The trade union requests additional positions for federal police officers
On Tuesday, the Police Union (GdP) made a call for more openings for federal police officers to be made available, intending to boost security at train stations and railway networks. The capacity for the region around the central station to be cordoned off considerably was made possible due to the presence of federal and state police officers - some of whom were already in action for the European Football Championship. "Only because operational forces were subject to leave restrictions prior to and during the EM, the necessary presence could be maintained," stated the union.
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- The public prosecutor's office is investigating the knife attack on the regional train in Saarland, with the perpetrator accused of attempted murder.
- The knife attack occurred on a train in Germany's Saarland state, resulting in serious injuries to a 21-year-old man.
- Reinhold Jost, the Saarland Interior Minister, has announced that Saarland will join the Lower Saxony initiative to strengthen knife control in public places, following the knife attack.
- The Turkish national suspect, who had no prior contact with the police, allegedly used a knife in the attack but managed to flee as the train arrived at Saarbrücken's central station.
- Federal police officers provided first aid to the victim before taking him to the hospital for surgery, and a hunt for the suspect ensued, lasting for about two hours before his surrender.
- Although the Saarland state is preparing to legalize cannabis, the public's attention is currently focused on the recent knife attack and the resulting criminal investigation.
