Suspect in German Christmas market attack remanded in custody
A man accused of murdering four women and a nine-year-old boy by driving a car into at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg has been placed custody.
The 50-year-old appeared before a on Saturday after an incident on Friday in which a black car ploughed through crowded, injuring more than 200 people.
The Magdeburg stated that investigations are and appealed to witnesses to submit any photos or the incident.
The suspect has been identified local media as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, 50-year-old Saudi citizen who arrived Germany in 2006 and worked as a.
On Sunday morning Magdeburg police confirmed that four women, aged 45 52, 67, and 75 were also killed in the incident.
“The judge ordered pre-trial detention for counts of murder, multiple counts of attempted murder, and multiple counts dangerous bodily harm,” the statement said.
City officials reported that approximately 100 police officers, medics, and firefighters, along with 50 service personnel, arrived at the scene shortly after 19:00 local time (18:00 GMT) on Friday.
Witnesses recounted how they compelled to leap out of the car’s path during the attack.
In an interview with the German newspaper Bild, woman named Nadine recounted being at the Christmas market with her Marco when a car sped towards them.
“He was struck and pulled away from my side the 32-year-old stated to the newspaper “It was dreadful.”
Lars Frohmüller, a reporter for the German public broadcaster MDR told BBC Radio 4’s World Tonight programme that he saw “blood on the floor” and “many doctors trying to keep people warm and help them with their injuries”.
A memorial service for the victims of the attack was held at Magdeburg Cathedral on Saturday evening.
The service was attended the families of the victims emergency workers, and federal government, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
During a to the market Saturday, Scholz described the attack as a “dreadful tragedy” where “so many people were injured and with such brutality” a place that is supposed to be “joyful”.
He reporters that there were serious concerns for those critically injured, and thatall resources” would be allocated to investigating the suspect behind the attack.
Reiner Haseloff, the premier Saxony-Anhalt, previously stated that a preliminary investigation indicated alleged attacker acted alone.
Prosecutor Horst Nopens stated on Saturday the investigation was ongoing but suggested that one potential motive for the attack “could have been dissatisfaction with the treatment of Saudi Arabian refugees in Germany”.
According to the police, Al-Abdulmsen is to have entered the market through an entry designated for emergency vehicles.
The suspect is a psychiatrist residing Bernburg, approximately 40 kilometers south of Magdeburg.
Originally from Saudi Arabia, al-Abdulmohsen arrived in Germany in 2006 and in 2016 was recognised as a refugee.
He ran a website that aimed to help other former Muslims flee persecution in their Gulf homelands.
The suspected attacker has no known connections to Islamist extremism. His social media activity and posts that he had been critical of Islam.
A source close to Saudi government informed the BBC that it had sent four official notifications, known as “Notes Verbal,” to German authorities, warning them about “the very extreme views” allegedly held by al-Abdulmohsen.
The source, who requested anonymity stated that these notifications were disregarded.
However, another experienced counter-terrorism expert suggested that the Saudis might be orchestrating a disinformation campaign to discredit an individual who attempted to assist young Saudi women in seeking in Germany.