Magdeburg: Victims of the Christmas market attack finally receive help!

The federal government has decided to treat those affected by the devastating attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg similarly to victims of terrorist and extremist acts. This measure was announced by Federal Justice Minister Volker Wissing, who emphasized that the state must support those affected. The compensation should be paid regardless of the perpetrator's motive, and the Bundestag will be asked to provide budget funds for this support in the near future.

In the attack, which occurred shortly before Christmas, a 50-year-old man drove a car into a crowd of people at the Christmas market. Tragically, a nine-year-old boy and five women between the ages of 45 and 75 lost their lives. In addition, almost 300 people were injured, 41 of whom were seriously or critically injured. The Federal Victims Commissioner Roland Weber estimates that more than 530 people were affected in some way by the incident, and this includes not only those directly injured, but also relatives of the victims and witnesses.

Details about the attack

The attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg occurred on Friday evening when the perpetrator's car drove into the crowd at high speed. The perpetrator initially drove slowly into an escape and rescue route before increasing the speed and driving over the Christmas market for a distance of at least 400 meters. Attentive officers were able to stop and arrest the driver at the intersection where the attack began. The time window of the attack was just three minutes, and the first emergency call came in at 7:02 p.m.

The vehicle, a rental car with a Munich license plate, was not secured by any barriers or bollards during the attack. The injured were treated in a total of 15 clinics, some of them outside Magdeburg. An arrest warrant has been issued for the 50-year-old perpetrator and he faces charges of five counts of murder, multiple counts of attempted murder and multiple counts of grievous bodily harm. The man is a doctor from Bernburg who has lived in Germany since 2006 and has a permanent residence permit.

The Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt reported that the perpetrator was not known to the authorities as an Islamist. A terrorism expert described him as an “untypical perpetrator” who had abandoned his religion. Investigations into the exact background to the attack are currently underway, with possible motives being suspected in dissatisfaction with the treatment of Saudi Arabian refugees in Germany.