- Title: German federal prosecutor takes over investigation into Hamburg knife attack
- Date: 31st July 2017
- Summary: KARLSRUHE, GERMANY (JULY 31, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF GERMANY'S FEDERAL PROSECUTOR OFFICE IN KARLSRUHE SIGN READING GERMAN FEDERAL PROSECUTOR (SOUNDBITE) (German) FEDERAL PROSECUTOR SPOKESWOMAN, FRAUKE KOEHLER, SAYING: "Good day, ladies and gentlemen. The German federal prosecutor today took over the investigation into the knife attack carried out by Ahmed A. that happened on July 28, 2017 because of the particular importance of the case. The suspect will be charged with murder as well attempted murder with severe injuries in five cases." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (German) FEDERAL PROSECUTOR SPOKESWOMAN, FRAUKE KOEHLER, SAYING: "The reason we decided to take on the case was particularly the additional evidence about the motives of the perpetrator. Ahmed A. was questioned yesterday by the Hamburg State Office of Criminal Investigation, he talked openly to them and confessed. According to what we now know from this we can assume there was a radical Islamist background to this. We can assume that the accused radicalised himself and according to his statement he had been engaging with radical Islamist topics for some time - it is not exactly clear for how long at this time. Two days before the attack, according to what he told our colleagues at the Hamburg State Office of Criminal Investigation, he opted to choose a corresponding way of life and as a result of this decided to carry out the attack on the day in question. According to what he told colleagues at the criminal office in Hamburg this was also tied to the hope of dying as a martyr in the attack." HANDS WRITING KOEHLER LEAVING
- Embargoed: 14th August 2017 16:57
- Keywords: Hamburg knife attack Barmbeck supermarket Germany
- Location: KARLSRUHE, GERMANY
- City: KARLSRUHE, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Crime
- Reuters ID: LVA0016S1TLQF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The German Federal prosecutor announced on Monday (July 31) it would take over the investigation into a knife attack in Hamburg last Friday in which a 26-year-old migrant killed one person and injured six others.
The prosecutor's spokesperson Frauke Koehler, said they were taking over due to the "particular importance of the case" and because they wanted to look into the motive of the attack.
The alleged attacker, a radicalised Islamist known to German security agencies, is believed to have psychological problems.
A security lapse in a second deadly militant attack in less than a year, and two months before the general election, would be highly embarrassing for German intelligence, especially since security is a main theme in the Sept. 24 vote.
A Tunisian failed asylum seeker killed 12 people by driving a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin in December, slipping through the net after intelligence officers who had monitored him reached the conclusion he was no threat. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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