Suspected mental disorder in German Christmas market attack
German Interior Minister stated that there are indications the individual involved in a car-ramming incident at a Christmas market in Magdeburg was experiencing mental health issues. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has suggested there are indications that the suspect involved in a tragic car-ramming assault at a Magdeburg Christmas market may be mentally ill. The event on December 20 resulted in five fatalities, including a child, and left over 200 individuals injured.
Faeser remarked to reporters following a private parliamentary committee meeting on Monday that a clear motive for the attack has not yet been determined. However, she pointed out that there were “striking signs of a pathological psyche.”
“The perpetrator does not fit into any previous categorization,” Faeser noted, stressing the importance of learning from this event, particularly regarding the monitoring of potential suspects who may be “psychologically disturbed” or influenced by “confused conspiracy theories.” She highlighted that the suspect had a significant social media footprint, with “tens of thousands of tweets” that have not been thoroughly analyzed.
Identified as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old Saudi psychiatrist, the suspect was apprehended at the scene after driving his car into a crowd of people. Reports from German media, citing unnamed security sources, indicate that Abdulmohsen had a background of mental health issues and had reportedly tested positive for drugs on the night of the incident. A journalist who interviewed Abdulmohsen several years ago described him as having a “twisted mind.”
Mustafa Fetouri, a reporter and spokesperson for the Association for the Victims of NATO’s Intervention in Libya, shared, “I got the feeling that he’s a twisted mind, if you will. I wouldn’t say he is crazy, but he’s inconsistent in his discussions and debates.” Fetouri believes it is unlikely that Abdulmohsen committed the attack for religious reasons, stating that “he has no religion” and is “against all forms of religion, including Christianity and Judaism.”
Having lived in Germany since 2006, Abdulmohsen was granted refugee status in 2016. His record includes legal troubles, such as a conviction in 2013 for “disturbance of public peace by threatening crimes,” which resulted in a fine but did not hinder his asylum application. Reports indicate that Saudi Arabia had cautioned German authorities about Abdulmohsen and had asked for his extradition, but these alerts were not acted upon.
In the wake of the attack, lawmakers from multiple parties have voiced criticism of the government’s response to the situation following Monday’s hearing. Konstantin Kuhle from the Free Democrats remarked that, despite federal and state authorities being aware of the suspect, they failed to link all relevant information. Gottfried Curio of the Alternative for Germany was even more critical, asserting that “everything was foreseeable” and advocating for deportations instead of naturalizations.
The incident has ignited fervent discussions regarding security and immigration policies in Germany, especially with the upcoming February election. Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised last week to “examine very carefully whether there were any failings on the part of the authorities” and to assess whether any warning signs were overlooked.
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
Faeser remarked to reporters following a private parliamentary committee meeting on Monday that a clear motive for the attack has not yet been determined. However, she pointed out that there were “striking signs of a pathological psyche.”
“The perpetrator does not fit into any previous categorization,” Faeser noted, stressing the importance of learning from this event, particularly regarding the monitoring of potential suspects who may be “psychologically disturbed” or influenced by “confused conspiracy theories.” She highlighted that the suspect had a significant social media footprint, with “tens of thousands of tweets” that have not been thoroughly analyzed.
Identified as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old Saudi psychiatrist, the suspect was apprehended at the scene after driving his car into a crowd of people. Reports from German media, citing unnamed security sources, indicate that Abdulmohsen had a background of mental health issues and had reportedly tested positive for drugs on the night of the incident. A journalist who interviewed Abdulmohsen several years ago described him as having a “twisted mind.”
Mustafa Fetouri, a reporter and spokesperson for the Association for the Victims of NATO’s Intervention in Libya, shared, “I got the feeling that he’s a twisted mind, if you will. I wouldn’t say he is crazy, but he’s inconsistent in his discussions and debates.” Fetouri believes it is unlikely that Abdulmohsen committed the attack for religious reasons, stating that “he has no religion” and is “against all forms of religion, including Christianity and Judaism.”
Having lived in Germany since 2006, Abdulmohsen was granted refugee status in 2016. His record includes legal troubles, such as a conviction in 2013 for “disturbance of public peace by threatening crimes,” which resulted in a fine but did not hinder his asylum application. Reports indicate that Saudi Arabia had cautioned German authorities about Abdulmohsen and had asked for his extradition, but these alerts were not acted upon.
In the wake of the attack, lawmakers from multiple parties have voiced criticism of the government’s response to the situation following Monday’s hearing. Konstantin Kuhle from the Free Democrats remarked that, despite federal and state authorities being aware of the suspect, they failed to link all relevant information. Gottfried Curio of the Alternative for Germany was even more critical, asserting that “everything was foreseeable” and advocating for deportations instead of naturalizations.
The incident has ignited fervent discussions regarding security and immigration policies in Germany, especially with the upcoming February election. Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised last week to “examine very carefully whether there were any failings on the part of the authorities” and to assess whether any warning signs were overlooked.
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
