Commitment - People donate around 600,000 euros after police officer's death
After the fatal stabbing attack in Mannheim, people donated approximately 600,000 Euro on the internet platform gofundme.com for the relatives of the slain policeman Rouven Laur. "We are still very grateful for the high readiness to donate, which surprised us in the first moment as well," said a spokesperson for the association "Alliance for Evidence Collection and Arrest Squad Blumberg". The association had launched the appeal shortly after the stabbing attack.
The association was founded by German police officers after the fatal collision of two police helicopters in Berlin in 2013 to support the affected colleagues. The fundraising campaign ends on Tuesday.
Laur was stabbed to death by a 25-year-old Afghan on the Mannheim market square on May 31st, and later succumbed to his injuries. The Public Prosecutor's Office is charging the suspect with murder, among other things.
Close contact with the family's lawyer
According to the spokesperson, the association has already transferred 45,000 Euro to the Police Foundation Baden-Württemberg, which has also collected money for the support of the family. For the remaining amount, the spokesperson stated that they are in close contact with the family's lawyer to directly transfer the money to the relatives of the 29-year-old. The lawyer Thomas Franz confirmed this procedure.
Originally, the spokesperson had stated that the entire money would go to the Police Foundation and from there "to the relatives of Rouven Laur and the other affected persons within the police forces".
The Police Foundation stated that they are in contact with the association regarding the donation money. In addition, a spokesperson confirmed that the foundation would support the colleagues of the affected squad in Mannheim. The Police Foundation declined to comment on how much money has gone to the family of Rouven Laur.
- Rouven Laur, the victim of the deadly knife attack in Mannheim, was a police officer from the Evidence Collection and Arrest Squad Blumberg in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
- The spokesperson for the Alliance for Evidence Collection and Arrest Squad Blumberg, founded by German police officers following the 2013 Berlin police helicopter collision, mentioned that they are in close contact with Rouven Laur's family's lawyer to directly distribute the donated funds.
- Regarding the fundraising campaign for Rouven Laur's family, the Public Prosecutor's Office in Germany is dealing with the case of his death, which was caused by a knife attack carried out by a 25-year-old Afghan on Mannheim market square on May 31st.
- Rouven Laur's sister, Rouven Laur-Blumberg, spoke out against the extremist ideologies that might have led to her brother's death, emphasizing the need for tolerance and understanding in German society.
