On 24 February 2020, a man rammed his car against a crowd at a carnival parade in Volkmarsen, Hesse, Germany, injuring 88 people. In total, 150 people were considered "negatively affected or traumatized by the incident",[1] and it was later described to the courts as a "miracle" that no one had been killed.[2] The attack came only days after a terrorist attack in Hanau.
| Volkmarsen ramming attack | |
|---|---|
  Volkmarsen Volkmarsen (Hesse)  Volkmarsen Volkmarsen (Germany) | |
| Location | Volkmarsen, Hesse, Germany |
| Coordinates | 51°24′35″N 9°07′04″E / 51.4098°N 9.1177°E |
| Date | February 24, 2020 |
Attack type | Vehicle-ramming attack |
| Weapons | Mercedes-Benz station wagon |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured | 88 |
| Perpetrator | Maurice Pahler |
| Convictions |
|
The perpetrator, 29-year-old Maurice Pahler, was found to have filmed and extensively planned the attack. In 2021, Pahler was sentenced to life in prison for attempted murder with a particular severity of guilt, meaning that he would not be automatically eligible for parole. He refused to give any motive or reasoning for the crime.
Attack
editAt about 2:45 p.m., a silver Mercedes car was driven first through plastic barricades set up for the parade and then into a crowd at a carnival parade celebrating Rosenmontag in Volkmarsen, Hesse, Germany.[3][4] Eyewitnesses informed BBC News that the driver sped up to attack the civilians, and seemed to target children.[3][4] 88 people were injured, with thirty-five seriously injured.[5][6][4] Twenty of those injured were children, the youngest of whom was a two-year-old.[4]
Once the car initially crashed, bystanders rushed to the car. A woman tried to take the keys from the man, but was choked and had her hair pulled; the suspect tried to restart the car, but three men assaulted the suspect to disable him.[7] 88 people were physically injured in the attack, while 150 in total were "negatively affected or traumatized by the incident".[1]
Aftermath
editHesse authorities cancelled all carnival parades as a precaution that day, and reconvened them on the following morning with enhanced security.[8][3][4] Chancellor Angela Merkel said her thoughts were with the injured and their relatives and thanked the police and medical services.[4]
On the one year anniversary of the attack, an ecumenical service was held in a local Protestant church to remember the victims.[9]
Legal proceedings
editThe attacker was identified as Maurice Pahler, a 29-year-old local man known to police for crimes including assault.[3][10][11] He was initially detained and arrested on suspicion of attempted homicide. A motive for the attack was not immediately obvious determined as the suspect was said to not be in a fit state of mind to be questioned.[3][4] A second person who filmed the attack was arrested; it is not clear if he was involved in the attack.[12] As of 24 February, Pahler was receiving medical treatment for injuries sustained in the incident but would later be brought before an investigating judge.[8][3][4]
The attack came only days after the terrorist attack in Hanau, and there was initially suspicion as to whether the motive was similar.[5] It was initially reported that the attacker was under the effect of alcohol and drugs, but this was later corrected as false.[13] The court found that he had planned the attack extensively and described it as a "miracle" that no one had been killed.[2] Pahler filmed the attack with a dash-cam he had bought to record the crimes.[1]
Pahler was sentenced to life in prison for attempted murder, causing grievous bodily harm, and dangerous interference with road traffic. He was sentenced with a particular severity of guilt, meaning that he would not be automatically eligible for parole.[1] He was diagnosed with a "severe" personality disorder with narcissistic, paranoid, and schizoid traits, but was found to be fully culpable for his actions.[1][2] He refused to give any motive or reasoning for his attack.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "Life sentence for German carnival car attacker". Deutsche Welle. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- ^ a b c "Bundesgerichtshof bestätigt Urteil gegen Amokfahrer von Volkmarsen" [Federal Court of Justice confirms verdict against Volkmarsen driver on rampage]. hessenschau (in German). 17 February 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Henley, Jon (24 February 2020). "Children among the injured after car drives into German carnival". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Dozens injured after car ploughs into carnival parade in Germany". The Irish Times. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ a b Kreth, Alicia; Rösner, Stefanie; Schulten, Elmar; Wallocha, Svenja; Wendt, Jan-Frederik (30 April 2020). "Volkmarsen: Auto fährt in Karnevalsumzug - Ermittlungen wegen versuchten Mordes gegen Maurice P." [Volkmarsen: Car drives into carnival parade - investigation into attempted murder against Maurice P.]. Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine (in German). Retrieved 29 February 2020.
- ^ "Dozens injured as German man 'intentionally' rams car into crowd". Al Jazeera. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ "German Carnival Crash Driver 'Seemed So Satisfied': Eyewitness Says". The New York Times. Reuters. 25 February 2020. Archived from the original on 26 February 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- ^ a b "Car drives into carnival crowd in German town". BBC News. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- ^ "Zum Jahrestag der Amokfahrt von Volkmarsen" [On the anniversary of the rampage in Volkmarsen]. Hessische Staatskanzlei (in German). 23 February 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- ^ von Bullion, Constanze; Drobinski, Matthias (25 February 2020). "Nordhessen - Zertrümmerte Fröhlichkeit beim Rosenmontag" [Northern Hesse - Shattered merriment on Rose Monday]. Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ "Volkmarsen, Germany". The Week. 6 March 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via PressReader.
- ^ "Volkmarsen attack: Almost 60 hurt after car drives into carnival crowd". BBC News. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- ^ "Wegen versuchten Mordes: Verdächtiger kommt in Untersuchungshaft" [Suspect remanded in custody for attempted murder]. t-online (in German). dpa, afp, rtr. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
Further reading
edit- Vahle, Jürgen (20 February 2023). "Volkmarsen feiert den Rosenmontag und sich selbst" [Volkmarsen celebrates Rose Monday and itself]. Westfalen-Blatt (in German). Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- "Amokfahrt von Volkmarsen: Mann soll sich als Zeuge ausgegeben haben" [Ramming attack in Volkmarsen: Man allegedly posed as a witness]. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). 21 November 2023. ISSN 0174-4909. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- "Amokfahrt von Volkmarsen: Angebliches Opfer soll zweieinhalb Jahre in Haft" [Ramming attack in Volkmarsen: Alleged victim to serve two and a half years in prison]. Der Spiegel (in German). 11 December 2023. ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- Vahle, Jürgen (15 December 2021). ""Das Schweigen verhöhnt die Opfer"" ["Silence mocks the victims"]. Westfalen-Blatt (in German). Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- Heinzelmann, Claudia (5 July 2023). "Die Amokfahrt von Volkmarsen am 24. Februar 2020". Prävention orientiert! ... planen ... schulen ... austauschen ...: Ausgewählte Beiträge des 26. Deutschen Präventionstages (in German). Forum Verlag Godesberg GmbH. pp. 322–325. ISBN 978-3-96410-030-6.