Neukölln school
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Alleged perpetrator comes after knife attack in psychiatry
Two girls were seriously injured in a knife attack in a schoolyard in Neukölln, one is in mortal danger. The alleged perpetrator, a 38-year-old man, is now being housed in a psychiatric ward. The background of the fact is unclear.
- In a knife attack in a school in Neukölln, two girls aged seven and eight were seriously injured, one is in mortal danger.
- A 38-year-old confessed to the crime and was admitted to a psychiatric clinic.
- Educators and parents were able to help quickly.
- The school will initially be guarded by security forces.
After the knife attack with two seriously injured girls in a Berlin elementary school, the alleged perpetrator comes to a psychiatric clinic. This was decided by an investigating judge on Thursday at the request of the public prosecutor, as announced. The placement order was issued for attempted manslaughter in two cases.
The 38-year-old is said to have stabbed two girls aged seven and eight on the grounds of a primary school in Neukölln. One of the children is still in mortal danger. Both victims are stable, although the eight-year-old is still in danger, police and prosecutors said on Thursday. Previously, there had been different information about the health of the children and initially an all-clear.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the suspect admitted the crime. However, the background to the fact is still unclear. It is also still unclear whether the man and the two victims knew each other.
Suspect may be mentally ill from drug use
“There is no knowledge of the suspect’s motive,” said the police and public prosecutor’s office on Thursday – one day after the crime. The man may be mentally ill because of drug use. There should be “indications of a mental illness possibly induced by narcotics”.
According to the results of the investigation so far, the 38-year-old attacked two girls with a kitchen knife on Wednesday afternoon in the schoolyard of a Protestant school on Mainzer Straße. The seven and eight-year-old students were taken to hospital with serious injuries. The police arrested the alleged attacker near the scene of the crime. The alleged instrument of the crime was seized.
The 38-year-old suspect lives in Berlin. A spokeswoman for the education administration said on Wednesday evening that a single perpetrator was assumed. The act was neither politically nor religiously motivated.
Educators and parents quickly helped
On Thursday, the school foundation praised the quick action taken by teachers and parents after the attack. She is the owner of the affected school. The responsible educators intervened very professionally and implemented their first aid training exactly, said the educational director of the Evangelical School Foundation, Frank Olie, the rbb. In addition, two parents were there, a doctor and a nurse, who immediately provided professional help.
From his point of view, there is no patent remedy to protect against such an act, Olie told the rbb24 evening show. School is not a high-security wing, but you still want to find any gaps in the system and fix them together with parents and teachers.
Educators and around 30 children saw the attack
About 30 students had to watch the knife attack at the elementary school. The spokeswoman for the Evangelical School Foundation told the German Press Agency on Thursday that educators from the after-school care center at the Neukölln Evangelical School, who looked after the children on Wednesday afternoon, also observed the crime.
Psychologists are available to students, teachers and educators for discussions and pastoral care. The offer is also aimed at parents, said the spokeswoman. A devotional for the school community is being planned.
According to the Senate, the school is open on Thursday and Friday as a “meeting place”. However, schooling is not compulsory. Intervention teams made up of psychologists, therapists and pastors are deployed.
Senate: Residual risk cannot be ruled out
Protection against attacks, as good as it can be guaranteed at all, is very good in Berlin schools. The staff at Berlin schools are trained for emergencies of this kind. “A residual risk can never be ruled out,” said the spokeswoman.
According to the school foundation, the school will be guarded by security forces this week and next. Whether there will also be a longer-term security is being discussed.
Broadcast: rbb24 Inforadio, May 4th, 2023, 12:04 p.m