Knife attacks: Germany considers general searches at large festivals

By Jana Glose, dpa I Saturday, August 31, 2024

 

BERLIN – Following knife attacks in the western German city of Siegen, the state government’s interior minister is considering increased security measures at events, which could result in mandatory checks at large festivals.

“I am currently examining whether it is legally possible … to conduct bag checks at large festivals,” North Rhine Westphalia’s (NRW) Interior Minister Herberg Reul said at a festival in the city in the southern part of the state, Germany’s most populous.

Reul said he did not want bag checks at every location, summer fair, or school festival, but there could be “a middle ground” between blanket checks and targeted measures.

On Friday, at least six people were injured, three of them critically, in a stabbing on board a bus in Siegen.

The suspect, a German woman, 32, has been arrested, police said.
In an update, Reul reported that “one of the three critically injured has stabilized. One is still in a serious condition, and the other is not yet clear.”

The motive for the crime remained initially unclear. Police said there was no indication of a terrorist attack. The 32-year-old is known to the police.

According to dpa sources, there are indications of a psychological disorder in the woman.

The city festival was not cancelled and continued on Saturday with a church service, which the interior minister attended.

The Siegen attack was nearly a week after a an attack in Solingen, in which three people were killed and eight wounded. A Syrian man, 26, is the main suspect in that attack.

The Islamic State terrorist organization claimed responsibility for that attack. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the suspect for murder and suspected membership of the terrorist group.

Reul cautioned against comparing the events, saying “what happened here in Siegen has nothing to do with what happened in Solingen.” Though both involved knives, there is a massive difference between a terrorist and a German woman with psychological issues randomly attacking people, he said.

“We live in a world unfortunately filled with such dangers at every corner, and we as the police must find as nuanced and intelligent responses as possible,” Reul said.

He added that this is not a simple challenge. “There are no easy answers, and yet we all need to stay alert.”