BERLIN: German police arrested a male suspect on Friday in connection with a stabbing that left a 30-year-old Spanish man severely wounded at Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial near the US embassy. The attack took place around 6:00 pm local time, with the suspect using a “stabbing weapon.” The victim, who underwent emergency surgery, is now in stable condition. Six witnesses to the assault received counseling from emergency responders at the scene, where bloodied clothing remained on the ground. The police cordoned off the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, deploying officers armed with assault rifles as they launched an extensive manhunt.
With sirens blaring and the city center illuminated by flashing police lights, officers searched the area, utilizing a cherry picker crane for aerial surveillance. More than three hours after the attack, a man approached police officers at the scene before being wrestled to the ground and handcuffed. AFP journalists witnessed the arrest, with a police officer confirming, “We have the suspect.” Florian Nath, a police spokesperson, later stated that the detained man had blood on his hands, but authorities have not yet determined a motive. The suspect has refused to speak to investigators, and his identity remains unknown.
The attack comes amid heightened security concerns in Germany following a string of violent incidents. On the same day, German authorities arrested an 18-year-old Russian man in Brandenburg on suspicion of planning a politically motivated attack in Berlin. Reports suggest the suspect, believed to be of Chechen origin, may have been targeting the Israeli embassy. The arrest followed a tip-off, leading to a police operation involving riot units and specialized officers. Germany has been increasingly alarmed by rising anti-Semitic sentiment, with official records showing 5,164 anti-Semitic crimes in 2023, more than double the previous year’s total.
In recent months, Germany has witnessed a series of violent attacks that have shocked the nation. In September, police shot dead an Austrian man with radical Islamist ties as he prepared to attack the Israeli consulate in Munich. December saw a deadly SUV rampage at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, killing six and injuring hundreds. In January, a man armed with a kitchen knife attacked a kindergarten group, killing a two-year-old boy and a man attempting to protect the children. Just ten days before the national elections, a driver plowed a Mini Cooper into a political rally in Munich, killing a mother and her two-year-old child while injuring dozens.
