Crime - Investigation after fatal attack in Bad Oeynhausen
In the event of a fatal attack on a 20-year-old in the Kurpark of Bad Oeynhausen in Ostwestfalen-Lippe, investigations were continued over the weekend. "We're staying on it," said a spokesperson for the Bielefeld police on Saturday. Witness statements were also being further processed. Many questions remained open a week after the incident.
An 18-year-old suspect was taken into custody for manslaughter and grievous bodily harm. He was previously unknown to the victim, according to the prosecutor. The motive and trigger for the crime remained unclear. Further tips from the population were considered essential by the police spokesperson.
Debate on Immigration and Deportation
The case has caused nationwide shock, with great sympathy. At the same time, it sparked a renewed political debate on refugee immigration and the deportation of criminals. The accused Syrian allegedly attacked the 20-year-old unexpectedly in the early hours of the previous Sunday, striking him on the head and trampling him. The young man died a few days later in the hospital. According to the investigators, the suspect had previously come to the attention of the authorities for violent, property, and drug-related offenses but had not been convicted.
North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) stated that the responsible person is always the one who commits the crime, while also acknowledging the question of what causes and backgrounds might be. He told the news station Welt-TV that "it's not just a question of failed integration." Reul added, "Maybe integration can't succeed when we let in such large numbers of people into our country." The federal government must "take clear action" to address the issue of immigration.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser had previously stated at an SPD event - partially broadcast on Welt-TV - that the 18-year-old Syrian suspect was also an example of "failed social integration." The perpetrator must "be punished harshly," said the SPD minister to Bild. "It's clear that young offenders and violent criminals need early intervention: Before they become even more violent, they need clear stop signals through swift criminal proceedings and visible penalties. We are also working intensively to reinstate deportations of criminals to Syria."
Heated atmosphere in Bad Oeynhausen
The mayor of the city, Lars Bökenkroger (CDU), described the atmosphere in Bad Oeynhausen as "aggressive and heated." In an interview with WDR, he spoke of a great emotionality regarding the topic. "And that's understandable. But often, boundaries are crossed. It's immediately politically instrumentalized." Bökenkroger added, "We need to talk openly." And he added, "Of course, there's a connection between migration and crime. Cases have been piling up, and that's the tip of the iceberg. From there, there should be no ban on deporting and removing such young people."
CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann stated: "This repeated case of brutal violence makes it clear: Uncontrolled and unregulated refugee influx puts not only us, but also poses a serious security risk. clear decisions are needed in the areas of youth and knife crime, as well as the ability to deport criminals even to Afghanistan and Syria."
Green Party Federal Chairman Omid Nouripour demanded more efforts in integration at the NRW Greens party conference in Oberhausen. Young people are under immense pressure. "And there are those who simply give up and that's unacceptable." If the 18-year-old suspect had come to Germany when he was ten or eleven years old, then the question arises: "What's wrong here?"
It is already law that people with a certain sentence for serious crimes lose their residence status in Germany, Nouripour said. However, it is not a solution to demand deportations to Afghanistan, for example, because the federal government would then have to recognize and negotiate with the radical Islamic Taliban. Nouripour referred to the debate following the fatal knife attack on a policeman in Mannheim by a 25-year-old Afghan suspect at the end of May.
Previous findings of the investigators
It is still open whether there are further suspects to be considered - and how many people that could be, the prosecutor reported. Several companions of the Syrian - young Germans - have stated that the 18-year-old committed the attack alone. The Syrian had come to Germany with his parents and siblings in 2016 and had lived in Pforzheim before moving to Bad Oeynhausen. So far, the 18-year-old has remained silent about the charges.
- The CDU in East Westphalia-Lippe expressed their concern over the case, calling for stricter immigration policies and deportation of criminal individuals.
- The federal government was urged to take action on immigrant integration and crime prevention, with the SPD advocating for early intervention and harsher punishments.
- The public prosecutor's office in North Rhine-Westphalia is still investigating the motive behind the fatal attack, as well as the suspect's previous interactions with German authorities.
- The local CDU leader in Bad Oeynhausen echoed calls for open discussion about migration and crime, but also criticized the politicization of the incident.
- The Green Party's Omid Nouripour urged a focus on integration efforts and argued against the resumption of deportations to certain countries due to political instability.
- SPD spokesperson Herbert Reul highlighted the complexity of the issue, acknowledging that failed integration is not the only cause of criminal behavior among some refugees.
- Witness statements and further leads continued to be gathered by police over the weekend in an effort to shed light on the violent attack that occurred in the Spa Park.
- The Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser reiterated her stance on the need for swift criminal proceedings and visible penalties to deter young offenders and violent criminals.
- The mayor of Bad Oeynhausen warned against crossing boundaries in the debate, emphasizing the importance of open dialogue and critical analysis of immigration policies.
- The CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann underscored the security risks posed by unregulated refugee influx, advocating for clear decisions on youth and knife crime, and deportation laws.
