DThe 34-year-old Dutch citizen who critically injured a four-year-old girl with a knife last Wednesday in Wangen, Baden-Württemberg, had come under the police's attention several times before. A spokesperson for the Ravensburg Prosecutor's Office confirmed this to FAZ.
Ravensburg police first became aware of the man in mid-March when he was questioned about simple assault. Then on March 30, the man demolished the privacy elements on the construction fences and containers. The police then issued a dismissal notice to him, which he ignored.
While in the first case the police started an investigation into the offense of bodily injury, in the second case it is still unclear whether a criminal law was violated and a property damage offense could have been committed. In any case, the file of the first investigation was not yet available to the prosecutor's office when the man attacked the girl on Zeppelinstrasse in the business district of Wangen. The case was not considered particularly urgent as it was not a custody issue.
The girl's life is no longer in danger
According to eyewitness reports, the man attacked the girl in Norma's store. According to investigations so far, the mother who went shopping at the market and the alleged criminal did not know each other. The child, who was bleeding profusely, had to receive emergency medical care and is no longer in danger of dying. The brave intervention of a witness in the supermarket led to the quick arrest of the criminal.
“We are investigating attempted murder involving the infliction of grievous bodily harm,” said a spokeswoman for the Ravensburg prosecutor's office. He did not want to assess whether the investigation file was sent to the prosecutor's office too late. An accommodation order was obtained from the court to accommodate the mentally ill suspect in a clinic.
Wangen Mayor Michael Lang (Independent) said: “The citizens of Wangen are appalled that a grown man could attack an unsuspecting child. It appalls us.” The numerous offers of help to the family made him optimistic, overwhelming, even if he can accept and pass on those offers to protect the family's privacy.
The death penalty was demanded for the suspect
Since the man was born in Syria, the AfD is trying to scandalize the case. The website “AfD Kompakt” says: “Even if many media and established parties want us to believe otherwise, denying the reality: such acts were not part of everyday life in Germany.”
The police received a lot of hate mail demanding the death penalty for the suspect. In order to inform the citizens, the police set up an information mobile on the market square of the town of Upper Swabia on Friday. Many citizens wanted to know more about the incident and also asked for tips on how to take precautions. The police understood the emotions and advised people to keep their cool. Ravensburg police chief Uwe Sturmer told the “Schwäbische Zeitung” newspaper: “I've been in the area for 17 years and I've never had a comparable case.”
Mayor Lang is concerned about the inflammatory reactions, most of which did not come from the city or the region. “There are people who wish me terminal cancer just because I can't give them information about the child's health,” she said. Another event with the motto “More protection for our children” will be held this coming weekend. In an open society, it's still hard to protect yourself 100 percent from people you know little about and don't know. About 500 refugees live in secondary accommodation in Wangen.
The criminal is said to have come to Wangen a few months ago
Further investigation will reveal why the alleged perpetrator got scared. According to FAZ, the man moved to Wangen im Allgäu a few months ago and initially stayed there privately with relatives. Allegedly, there have been conflicts. In the end, he became homeless: at first he slept in the open air near the railway station, later he pitched a tent on the banks of the Fuss Argen. He was eventually placed in a municipal homeless shelter near Norma Supermarket.
Baden-Württemberg Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) said that the police and prosecutor's office must now investigate the case. The Ministry of Migration does not attach political importance to the case, after all, it concerns a citizen of the European Union. Legally, a homeless person falls under the Homeless Act. Contrary to what the far right portrays, there are no failures in the reception or care of refugees. Rather, it is a bad isolated case, which is difficult to prevent due to the EU's freedom of movement, they continue.