This article may be excessively based on contemporary reporting. (March 2024) |
On 31 December 2018 and 1 January 2019, a car was intentionally driven into crowds of people in the cities of Bottrop and Essen in Germany, injuring ten[4] people.[5][6][7] First media reports suspected a terrorist background.[8] Later, the perpetrator was admitted to psychiatry and a surveyor certified that he is probably not guilty by reason of mental disease.[9]
| Bottrop and Essen car attack | |
|---|---|
  Bottrop Essen Bottrop and Essen car attack (North Rhine-Westphalia) | |
| Location | Bottrop and Essen, Germany |
| Date | 31 December 2018 and 1 January 2019 |
| Target | People of foreign heritage |
Attack type | Vehicular attack |
| Weapons | Silver Mercedes-Benz car[1] |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured | 10[2] |
| Assailants | Andreas N.[3] |
| Motive | acute episode of paranoid schizophrenia |
According to the judgment of the court of December 2019, the act had no xenophobic or terrorist background, but was triggered by an acute episode of paranoid schizophrenia.[10]
Attack
editOn New Year's Eve, a 50-year-old attacker tried to hit a person with his car in Bottrop, but the man was able to avoid the vehicle. Minutes later, the man drove his car into a crowd of people at the Berliner Platz in Bottrop, injuring two men from Syria and Afghanistan, along with a woman and a child.[11] In Essen, the man tried again to drive into a crowd of people who were waiting for a bus. Police stopped the man on the Rabenhorst street. Upon his arrest, the man reportedly expressed xenophobic and racist motives.[12] The attacker is reported to have schizophrenia.[13]
Reaction
editHerbert Reul, Minister of the Interior of North Rhine-Westphalia said about the attack, that the perpetrator "wanted to kill people of foreign heritage."[14]
Victims
editIn total, the perpetrator injured eight people, four of whom are a family from Syria, composed by two daughters aged 16 and 27 and the 48-year-old father who were slightly injured, and the 46-year-old mother who was critically injured and was operated. In addition, a 10-years-old boy also from Syria, a child of four years and a 29-years-old woman from Afghanistan were also hit and injured. The nationality and age of the eighth victim is unknown.[15]
References
edit- ^ "Germany: Man deliberately drives car at pedestrians". Deutsche Welle. 1 January 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
- ^ "Amokfahrt von Bottrop: Fuhr Täter an weiteren Orten gezielt auf Menschen zu?". 23 January 2019.
- ^ Haas, Daniel (2 January 2019). "Anschlag in Bottrop: Haftbefehl gegen Deutschen wegen mehrfachen versuchten Mordes erlassen" [Attack in Bottrop: Warrant issued against a German men for multiple attempted murders]. Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2 January 2019.
- ^ "Amokfahrt von Bottrop: Fuhr Täter an weiteren Orten gezielt auf Menschen zu?". 23 January 2019.
- ^ "Attacke in Bottrop: Autofahrer hatte die "klare Absicht, Ausländer zu töten"" [Attack in Bottrop: Car driver had "clear intention to kill foreigners"]. Spiegel Online (in German). 1 January 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ "Suspected far-right attacker 'intentionally' rams car into crowd of Syrian and Afghan citizens in Germany". The Independent. 1 January 2019.
- ^ "Man drives into crowd in Germany, injuring 4 in apparent attack on foreigners, police say". Los Angeles Times. 2 January 2019.
- ^ "Amokfahrt von Bottrop: "Klare Absicht, Ausländer zu töten" – Neue Details zum Täter" [Amokfahrt von Bottrop: "Clear intention to kill foreigners" – New details on the culprit]. Merkur (in German). 2 January 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
- ^ "Amokfahrer in psychiatrische Klinik eingeliefert" [Spree killer admitted to psychiatry]. Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). 22 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
- ^ Anschlag von Silvester: Täter muss in die Psychiatrie, FAZ.NET, 11. Dezember 2019
- ^ Süselbeck, Kai (1 January 2019). "Amokfahrt in Bottrop: Ermittler sprechen von vier Tatorten". Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ "Silvesternacht in Bottrop: Mann fährt gezielt Fußgänger um - möglicherweise Anschlag". Spiegel Online (in German). 1 January 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ Zeit.de: "Die Gesellschaft liefert Futter für Hassfantasien"
- ^ "Autofahrer hatte die "klare Absicht, Ausländer zu töten"". Zeit (in German). 1 January 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ Zahl der Verletzten in Bottrop und Essen erhöht sich, Zeit Online, 2: Januar 2019, Abruf 13. Januar 2019