The Minister in charge of internal affairs was announced. - Mourning is experienced in Poseck over the demise of a Mannheim police officer.
Roman Poseck, Interior Minister of Hesse, was left in disbelief after a police officer was murdered in a knife attack at Mannheim market square. "This man was ripped away from life due to his selfless efforts to protect others and uphold the law. Our Hessian police officers and I personally offer our condolences to the slain officer's family in Baden-Württemberg and everyone who knew him," he said on Monday in Wiesbaden.
This tragic event serves as a grim reminder of the dangers faced by law enforcement officers in the line of duty. "They're being attacked more frequently and with greater intensity. These are people who are attacked by political or religious groups with violent intent," said Poseck. The German Police Union (DPolG) Hessen also lamented the loss: "We are deeply saddened over the loss of our courageous comrade who put his life on the line for the community."
The unfortunate incident occurred on Friday at Mannheim market square, where the officer sustained severe head injuries after being stabbed multiple times by a knife-wielding attacker. While responding to an event held by the Islam-critical movement Pax Europa (BPE), five other men were also injured. The assailant, a 29-year-old Afghan-born man who migrated to Germany in 2014, suffered injuries as well, initially preventing authorities from conducting interrogations.
Poseck later commented, "The attacker undeniably targeted a stand critical of Islam. While we must wait for further investigations to understand the motive behind the incident, we can't ignore the fact that extremist Islamic forces pose a real threat to our democracy and peaceful cohabitation." The Interior Minister then emphasized, "There should be no lawless zones, and tolerance should not be misconstrued as a means to justify violent actions."
