- Title: Germany tries teenage girl accused of stabbing policeman on IS orders
- Date: 20th October 2016
- Summary: CELLE, GERMANY (OCTOBER 20, 2016) (REUTERS) HENRICHS SPEAKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (German) STATE PROSECUTOR, SIMON HENRICHS, SAYING: "We believe that the accused was persuaded to carry out this act by Islamic State members in Syria and that they instructed her." SOUND TECHNICIANS (SOUNDBITE) (German) STATE PROSECUTOR, SIMON HENRICHS, SAYING: "The 20-year-old co-defendant is accused of not reporting planned crimes. He is suspected of having known that the main suspect wanted to carry out an act of martyrdom on the orders of Islamic State. He should have immediately reported this, which he failed to do." JOURNALISTS OUTSIDE COURT (SOUNDBITE) (German) DEFENSE LAWYER FOR SAFIA S., MUTLU GUENAL, SAYING: "The reason why this happened is clear. Safia has written a letter of apology to the injured policeman. She has apologised sincerely and that shows her attitude on what happened." CAMERAMEN (SOUNDBITE) (German) DEFENSE LAWYER FOR SAFIA S., MUTLU GUENAL, SAYING: "There are significant doubts over whether Safia had the ability to see that this was wrong. It is not my job to decide that, it is up to the specialists, experts like youth psychiatrists, to answer this question." VARIOUS OF POLICE VANS OUTSIDE COURT
- Embargoed: 4th November 2016 12:13
- Keywords: Islamic State girl stabbing policeman trial court
- Location: CELLE, GERMANY
- City: CELLE, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Crime
- Reuters ID: LVA00354T8093
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A teenage German-Moroccan girl went on trial in Germany on Thursday (October 20) accused of stabbing a policeman at a train station in Hanover on the orders of the Islamic State militant group.
Safia S., a dual citizen who has been in prison awaiting trial, is charged with attempted murder and with being a supporter of the jihadist group.
She travelled to Istanbul in January, where she met members of the group who planned to help her enter Islamic State-controlled territory in Syria, prosecutors have said.
While in Istanbul, she received orders from Islamic State members to carry out a "martyrdom attack" in Germany.
She stabbed and seriously wounded the policeman in February after she was brought back to Germany by her mother, the prosecution has said. She was 16 at the time.
After being returned to Germany, Safia S. contacted Islamic State members online and asked them to help her plan an attack, prosecutors have said.
The accused is believed to have been radicalized in Germany by people with ties to the ultra-conservative Salafi strand of Islam. Authorities believe 820 Germans have left for war zones in Syria and Iraq.
A 20-year-old German Syrian is also standing trial in the same case. Prosecutors believe Mohamad K. knew of Safia's plan to carry out the attack and did not inform the police. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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