- Police Chief expresses regret for errors following Hanau assault
Almost five years since the discriminatory incident in Hanau, Daniel Muth, currently heading the police force in South East Hesse, has publicly acknowledged faults in the management of the victims' families and apologized to their relatives. This apology follows the steps taken by Roman Poseck, the current interior minister (CDU), in June. Muth expressed, to the "Frankfurter Rundschau" (Wednesday), "I'm on board with this apology."
He went on to admit, "We erred in our approach to the victims and their families." A biased attack, categorized as "a supposed state of emergency," should have triggered at the state criminal office, where authority would have been relinquished to a seasoned police leader along with their team, Muth further explained. Unfortunately, this wasn't implemented at the time.
On February 19, 2020, a 43-year-old German, driven by hate, opened fire on nine individuals in Hanau. Post the attack, he took his own life along with his mother. An investigative parliamentary committee in Hesse interfered, compiling 60 suggestions for improvements in a 750-page summary report - a significant portion of which is under the auspices of the interior ministry.
The then interior minister, Peter Beuth (CDU), and the former police headquarters South East Hesse head, didn't acknowledge the police's missteps during the operation. The latter, headquartered in Offenbach, bears responsibility for Hanau as well.
Muth later added, "We've pointed out the mistakes that occurred, such as in the reporting of deaths." The bereaved relatives vividly described the emotional toll, not knowing whether their loved ones were alive or deceased, and uncertainty about their whereabouts.
The 19th February Initiative, formed by relatives of the victims, supporters, and others impacted by the attack, has constantly criticized the police for operational errors. In addition, they've criticized the lack of political accountability post the attack and the absence of consequences.
Despite the incident occurring in Hanau, Hesse, the former interior minister and police headquarters failed to acknowledge the police's mistakes during the operation. now, Daniel Muth, the police chief in South East Hesse, has acknowledged faults in handling the victims' families and apologized, stating, "We erred in our approach to the victims and their families."
