Police officer memorial service held

Document in Mannheim: A Legal Instrument - Ceremony for fallen police officer.

Following the tragic death of a young police officer in Mannheim due to a stabbing attack, there has been a strong response. Baden-Württemberg's Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) has ordered a moment of silence and a wreath-laying ceremony to honor the fallen officer. The police in Mannheim plan to bid farewell to their colleague at the officer's funeral. Meanwhile, investigators are working to determine the motive of the attacker, who, according to security sources, had no previous criminal or extremist history.

The minute of silence for the 29-year-old police officer will take place on the coming Friday at 11:34 am, as announced by the Interior Ministry on Monday. The exact date of the funeral has not been disclosed yet, as the family requires more time to grieve. In the evening, a demonstration occurred near the crime scene, where flowers were left in memory of the fallen officer. Approximately 8,000 people participated in the event.

Here's a recap of the incident:

On Friday, a 25-year-old man with Afghan citizenship pulled out a knife at the market square during an event hosted by the Islam-critical movement Pax Europa (BPE). The attacker injured six men, including the police officer, who later succumbed to his injuries on Sunday afternoon. Another police officer shot the attacker to prevent further harm. Among those injured were an Iraqi and a German-Kazakh dual citizen.

The motive behind the attack remains unclear, although video footage shows the attacker looking at the information stand of Pax Europa prior to launching his attack. It is possible that the attack is connected to the Islam-critical event, where board member Michael Stürzenberger was also injured in the incident. The event featured slogans like "Political Islam threatens democracy, freedom, security, and human rights!" displayed at the stand of the right-wing populist movement.

The perpetrator has not been able to be interrogated due to health reasons, according to the prosecutor's office on Monday. The investigators hope to gain more information from the digital devices found during the search of his apartment in Heppenheim.

Few details are known about the perpetrator. He came to Germany in 2013 as a teenager and filed an asylum application, which was denied in 2014. However, a deportation ban was instituted, likely due to his young age. The attacker had been living with his wife and two small children in Heppenheim. The whereabouts of his wife and whether she has been questioned are unknown.

Addressing concerns about the European Football Championship security measures, a spokesperson for the Federal Interior Ministry in Berlin stated that security is their top priority at the event. Both the federal government and the states are working to ensure adequate security during the championship. "Of course, we will review the measures based on the situation," the spokesperson added.

Out of respect for the police officer, mourning flowers should be placed on all police patrol cars in the area until the funeral. Flags at police stations and the Interior Ministry headquarters will be lowered to half-mast, as will the service vehicles of the Federal Police. Mourning flagging has also been ordered at police stations and the Interior Ministry headquarters in Mannheim and Stuttgart.

In response to the attack, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has vowed to take a firm stance against extremists. "This police officer gave his life for peace and security. He was present because he protected democracy and everyone's right to express their opinions, regardless of whether others found them appealing," Scholz said.

The city of Hamburg aims to advocate for the deportation of severely criminal foreigners to Syria and Afghanistan at the next Interior Ministers' Conference (IMK). The ministers should request the Federal Interior Ministry to reassess the security situation in Afghanistan and the area surrounding Damascus. From the Federal Interior Ministry, it was reported that Minister Faeser was thoroughly examining the feasibility of resuming deportations of criminals and dangerous individuals to Afghanistan. In such cases, Germany's security interests must outweigh the interests of the affected individuals. However, given the challenging security situation and the absence of a recognized government in Afghanistan, significant issues need to be addressed.

BSW party founder Sahra Wagenknecht called for a shift in immigration policy. "The escalating criminality of non-Germans, manifesting itself in increasingly violent attacks, stabbings, and rapes, is a serious problem that must be acknowledged," she stated. Left Party leader Martin Schirdewan condemned the attack in Mannheim, while at the same time stressing that no one should be generalized based on their ethnicity. Several others, including Palestinian Autonomous Authority representative Laith Arafeh and the board of the new party Democratic Alliance for Diversity and Renewal, have expressed their disapproval of the attack.

The Germany newspaper "Rheinische Post" reports that Union faction members have asked the Bundestag, Germany's parliament, to discuss a recent incident involving violence against police officers. Jochen Kopelke, the head of the police union (GdP), urges the Bundestag to take action, stating, "The Bundestag must address the issue of police officer violence and stabbings." According to Kopelke, there should be decisive action in deporting criminals and restraint for police officers.

One main question arises: what happens to the perpetrator? If found guilty, perpetrators would likely face imprisonment in Germany. Whether or not and when a foreign criminal would be deported after completing their prison sentence depends on several factors, such as the state of their home country at the time of their release.