Two dead, including a child, in a knife attack in Germany: suspect arrested

A knife attack killed two people, a 41-year-old man and a 2-year-old boy, on Wednesday 22 January in the Schöntal park in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria. The police arrested a 28-year-old Afghan man near the scene of the crime. Two other people are currently in hospital with serious injuries.

The motive for the attack, which occurred at around 11.45am, remains shrouded in mystery. ‘The investigation is proceeding at a steady pace’, said the German police, while urging people not to speculate on the reasons for this tragic act. The park has been evacuated and remains under the control of the security forces.

A series of knife attacks worrying Germany

This event is one in a series of similar attacks that have shaken Germany in recent months. In August, an attack in Solingen, claimed by the Islamic State, killed three people during local festivities. In June, an anti-Islamic rally in Mannheim was the scene of a knife attack that claimed the life of a young policeman.

These attacks have rekindled the debate on security issues, a subject at the heart of the campaign for the parliamentary elections scheduled for 23 February. The German government recently tightened restrictions on the carrying of edged weapons, particularly at public gatherings and on long-distance transport, in an attempt to curb this worrying trend.