2025 Aschaffenburg stabbing attack

{{Infobox civilian attack

| title = 2025 Aschaffenburg stabbing

| image = File:Aschaffenburg an traurigen Tagen 09 22 48 037000.jpeg

| image_size =

| image_upright =

| alt =

| caption = A memorial at the scene

| map =

| map_size =

| map_alt =

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| location = Schöntal Park, Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, Germany

| target = Kindergarten group{{Cite news |date=20 May 2025 |title=Attacke auf Kindergartengruppe: Gutachter hält Angreifer von Aschaffenburg für schuldunfähig |url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/gesellschaft/panorama/attacke-auf-kindergartengruppe-gutachter-halt-angreifer-von-aschaffenburg-fur-schuldunfahig-13726879.html |access-date= |work=Der Tagesspiegel Online |language=de-DE |issn=1865-2263}}

| coordinates =

| date = 22 January 2025

| time = 11:45

| timezone = CET

| type = Mass stabbing, child murder

| fatalities = 2

| injuries = 3

| victims =

| weapon = Kitchen knife{{Cite web |date=2025-01-26 |title=Tödlicher Messerangriff in Aschaffenburg: Was wir wissen |url=https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/toedlicher-messerangriff-in-aschaffenburg-was-wir-bisher-wissen,UacXLCm |access-date= |website=BR24 |language=de}}

| motive = Under investigation

| accused = Enamullah Omarzai

| charges =

}}

On 22 January 2025, a mass stabbing took place at a park in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, Germany. 28-year-old Afghan asylum seeker Enamullah Omarzai, killed two people and wounded three.{{cite web |title=Two killed in German park in stabbing attack; Afghan suspect arrested |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/suspect-arrested-after-two-killed-knife-attack-german-park-2025-01-22/ |website=Reuters.com |publisher=Reuters |access-date=23 January 2025}}{{Cite web |date=2025-01-26 |title=Tödlicher Messerangriff in Aschaffenburg: Was wir wissen |url=https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/toedlicher-messerangriff-in-aschaffenburg-was-wir-bisher-wissen,UacXLCm |access-date= |website=BR24 |language=de}}

Attack

The perpetrator entered the {{Interlanguage link|Schöntal (Aschaffenburg)|lt=Schöntal Park|de}} at around 11:30 local time. Inside the park, he followed a kindergarten group, consisting of two female teachers and five children, for fifteen minutes.{{Cite web |date=2025-06-11 |title=Staatsanwaltschaft: Schöntal-Angreifer soll dauerhaft in Psychiatrie |url=https://www.main-echo.de/8526150 |access-date= |website=Main-Echo}} At 11:45, at the Musikerplatz, the perpetrator ran past the teachers to attack two toddlers sat inside a toy wagon, pulling off the hat and scarf of a 2-year-old Moroccan boy before stabbing him and a 2-year-old Syrian girl.{{cite web |title=Afghan man arrested after deadly knife attack in German park |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/22/afghan-man-arrested-after-deadly-knife-attack-in-german-park |website=theguardian.com |publisher=The Guardian |access-date=22 January 2025}} The boy died after suffering seven stab wounds while the girl survived with critical injuries.{{cite web|date=2025-01-29 |language=German |title=Minister liefert weitere Details zur Aschaffenburg-Bluttat |trans-title=Minister provides further details about the bloody deed of Aschaffenburg |url=https://www.n-tv.de/panorama/Minister-liefert-weitere-Details-zur-Aschaffenburg-Bluttat-article25523940.html |work=n-tv.de}}

A 59-year-old teacher tried to save the children, but she was pushed by the knifeman, breaking her hand. Two male passersby pulled the perpetrator away from the children, leading to a prolonged struggle during which the teachers and the remaining children escaped the scene. The attacker stabbed both men in the back and flank, killing a 41-year-old man and injuring a 72-year-old man, both of whom were German citizens.{{cite web |date=2025-01-23 |title=Polizist über Messerangriff: "Die Kinder waren in einem Bollerwagen" |url=https://www.welt.de/vermischtes/video255214092/Aschaffenburg-Die-Kinder-waren-in-einem-Bollerwagen-Polizist-informiert-ueber-Messerangriff.html |work=Welt TV |language=German}}

Other passersby chased after the attacker as he fled. He was then arrested by police two kilometres from the crime scene, outside a train tunnel of the Main Valley Railway near Wilhelm-Hoegner-Anlage,{{Cite web |date=11 June 2025 |title=Pressemitteilung 23/2025 |url=https://www.justiz.bayern.de/gerichte-und-behoerden/staatsanwaltschaft/aschaffenburg/presse/2025/23.php |access-date= |website=Bayerisches Staatsministerium der Justiz}} twelve minutes later.{{Cite web|url=https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/toedlicher-messerangriff-in-aschaffenburg-was-wir-bisher-wissen,UacXLCm |title=Tödlicher Messerangriff in Aschaffenburg: Was wir wissen |trans-title=Deadly knife attack in Aschaffenburg: what we know |first1=Julia |last1=Kuhles |first2=Pirmin |last2=Breninek |first3=Carlotta |last3=Sauer |first4=Eva |last4=Behringer |first5=Till |last5=Erdtracht |work=BR24 |date=2025-01-26|language=German|access-date=2025-06-12}}{{Cite web |last=Filthaus |first=Katrin |date=2025-01-22 |title=Bluttat im Aschaffenburger Park Schöntal: Täter ausreisepflichtiger Afghane mit psychischen Problemen |url=https://www.main-echo.de/region/stadt-kreis-aschaffenburg/gewalttat-in-aschaffenburg-grosseinsatz-in-innenstadt-art-8435660 |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=Main-Echo}}{{Cite web |date=2025-01-30 |title=Mann (45) wird nach Messerangriff in Aschaffenburg zum Helden – Tatverdächtiger „hat wahllos zugestochen“ |url=https://www.fr.de/panorama/mann-45-wird-nach-messerangriff-in-aschaffenburg-zum-helden-tatverdaechtiger-hat-wahllos-zugestochen-93536514.html |access-date=2025-04-08 |first=Carmen |last=Mörwald |website=Frankfurter Rundschau |language=de}}

Suspect

The suspect was identified as Enamullah Omarzai ({{Langx|ps|إنعام الله عمرزی}}), born in 1997 in Kunduz, Afghanistan. He arrived in Bulgaria from Turkey in early 2022, before illegally moving to Germany in November 2022. Four months later he requested the right of asylum.{{cite web|date=2025-01-24 |language=German |title=Warum war Mörder noch bei uns? Jetzt tauchen Zweifel an Aussagen der Bayern auf |trans-title=Why was the murderer still in our country? Doubts about statements by Bavaria emerging |url=https://www.focus.de/politik/deutschland/warum-die-abschiebepanne-beim-aschaffenburg-moerder-auch-zum-soeder-problem-wird_id_260664446.html |first=Axel |last=Spilcker |work=Focus}} It was however refused in June 2023, with the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees ordering a repatriation to Bulgaria.{{cite web|date=2025-01-22 |language=German |title=Messerangriff auf Kindergartengruppe in Aschaffenburg – zwei Tote |trans-title=Knife attack on kindergarten group in Aschaffenburg – two deaths |url=https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/aschaffenburg-gewalttat-im-park-schoental-polizei-im-grosseinsatz-a-3c9e90ff-2e76-4e73-8d36-770940465b3a |work=Spiegel Online |access-date=2025-03-11}}

At the time of the stabbing, Omarzai had 18 criminal proceedings against him.{{Cite web |last=Balbierer |first=Thomas |date=2025-01-29 |title=Messerangriff in Aschaffenburg: 18 Strafverfahren gegen den Angreifer |url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/bayern/aschaffenburg-totes-kind-messerangriff-strafverfahren-verdaechtiger-migration-li.3191055 |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=Süddeutsche |language=de}} His criminal record in Germany consisted of serious bodily harm, assault, and falsifying a public transport ticket. For his first offence in March 2023, a physical fight at a refugee centre in Schweinfurt, he was sentenced to a fine of €800, which he ultimately did not pay. In Aschaffenburg, Omarzai was twice arrested and committed to a psychiatric institution for incidents of resisting law enforcement, once for beating officers at a precinct while under the influence of cannabis and another time for public nudity at Aschaffenburg Hauptbahnhof. While at refugee accommodations in Alzenau and Werneck, Omarzai was noted for his violent disposition and arrested three times in January and August 2024 for assaulting other refugees. On 2 December 2024, Omarzai was sentenced to 40 days imprisonment for failing to pay a fine, but did not show up to prison on 23 December. Omarzai had volunteered to return to Afghanistan after his sentence, for which federal authorities had labelled him obligated to leave the country.{{Cite news |title=Die Strafakte von Enamullah O.: Der mutmaßliche Aschaffenburg-Täter hätte im Gefängnis sitzen müssen |url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/gesellschaft/die-strafakte-von-enamullah-o-der-mutmassliche-aschaffenburg-tater-hatte-im-gefangnis-sitzen-mussen-13071856.html |access-date=2025-04-08 |work=Der Tagesspiegel Online |language=de-DE |issn=1865-2263}} He was also assigned to mental health counselling,{{Cite web |date=23 January 2025 |title=Entsetzen nach Angriff auf Kindergruppe mit zwei Toten in Aschaffenburg |url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/gesellschaft/aschaffenburg-messerangriff-100.html |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=tagesschau.de |language=de}}{{Cite web |date=24 January 2025 |title=Enamullah O. und sein Gang durch die Drehtüren |url=https://www.stern.de/gesellschaft/aschaffenburg--enamullah-o--und-sein-gang-durch-die-drehtueren-35407612.html |website=stern}} which diagnosed him with schizophrenia and prescribed medication.{{Cite web |last=Przybilla |first=Olaf |date=2025-01-23 |title=Nach der Messerattacke in Aschaffenburg: Eine Stadt im Schockzustand |url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/bayern/messerattacke-aschaffenburg-kita-gruppe-schock-reportage-li.3187767 |access-date= |website=Süddeutsche |language=de}}{{Cite web |date=2025-01-26 |title=Tödlicher Messerangriff in Aschaffenburg: Was wir wissen |url=https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/toedlicher-messerangriff-in-aschaffenburg-was-wir-bisher-wissen,UacXLCm |access-date= |website=BR24 |language=de}}{{Cite web |last= |date=2025-05-21 |title=Messerangriff im Januar - Gutachten: Täter von Aschaffenburg laut Sachverständigen psychisch krank und schuldunfähig |url=https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/gutachten-taeter-von-aschaffenburg-laut-sachverstaendigen-psychisch-krank-und-schuldunfaehig-102.html |access-date= |website=Deutschlandfunk |language=de}}{{Cite web |last= |date=11 June 2025 |title=StA: Sicherungsverfahren für Aschaffenburg-Verdächtigen |url=https://www.lto.de/recht/nachrichten/n/staatsanwaltschaft-aschaffenburg-sicherungsverfahren-fuer-verdaechtigen |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=Legal Tribune Online |language=de}}

Authorities stated that the stabbings were not carried out for a political or religious motive. The suspect had been previously recorded for mental illness{{Cite news |last=Garellts |first=Nantke |date=24 January 2025 |title=Gefahr durch psychisch erkrankte Einzeltäter: Neue Regeln oder bessere Gesetzesumsetzung? |url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/gefahr-durch-psychisch-erkrankte-einzeltatern-neue-regeln-oder-bessere-gesetzesumsetzung-13079227.html |access-date=2025-04-08 |work=Der Tagesspiegel Online |language=de-DE |issn=1865-2263}}{{Cite web |date=2025-01-23 |title=Straffällig und ausreisepflichtig: Details über den Täter von Aschaffenburg |url=https://www.t-online.de/nachrichten/panorama/kriminalitaet/id_100581738/aschaffenburg-die-schockierenden-details-ueber-den-taeter.html |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=t-online |language=de}}{{Cite news |last=Kubeth |first=Levin |date=2025-01-23 |title=(S+) Gewalttat in Aschaffenburg: »Natürlich hätte die Gefahr erkannt werden müssen« |url=https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/gesellschaft/gewalttat-in-aschaffenburg-natuerlich-haette-die-gefahr-erkannt-werden-muessen-a-e397d0c5-90e9-4674-89a3-9839126f1916 |access-date=2025-04-08 |work=Der Spiegel |language=de |issn=2195-1349}} and was temporarily detained at a psychiatric center after the killings.

In late February 2025 the prosecutor's office informed about an evaluation, which concluded that the attacker may not be responsible for his action due to a psychiatric disease.{{cite web|date=2025-02-28 |language=German |title=Mutmaßlicher Täter von Aschaffenburg wohl schuldunfähig |trans-title=Alleged perpetrator of Aschaffenburg probably incapable of guilt |url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/mutmasslicher-angreifer-von-aschaffenburg-wohl-schuldunfaehig-110327130.html |work=Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung |access-date=2025-03-11}} Doctors suspected that the defendant may be affected by psychosis or schizophrenia, having previously shown to experience persecutory delusions and possibly hallucinations.{{Cite news |title=Aschaffenburg: Was Ärzte über Enamullah O. und seinen Zustand sagten |url=https://www.stern.de/gesellschaft/aschaffenburg--was-aerzte-ueber-enamullah-o--und-seinen-zustand-sagten-35411832.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250210104307/https://www.stern.de/gesellschaft/aschaffenburg--was-aerzte-ueber-enamullah-o--und-seinen-zustand-sagten-35411832.html |archive-date=2025-02-10 |access-date=2025-04-08 |work=stern.de |language=de-DE}}{{Cite web |last=Schwilden |first=Frédéric |date=8 February 2025 |title=Magdeburg und Aschaffenburg: Psychisch kranke Gewalttäter und der voreilige Trugschluss |url=https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/plus255364096/Magdeburg-und-Aschaffenburg-Psychisch-kranke-Gewalttaeter-und-der-voreilige-Trugschluss.html |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=DIE WELT |language=de}}

On 11 June 2025, the prosecutor's office stated that it had concluded its investigation, and had requested the regional court to permanently commit the suspect to a psychiatric hospital.{{cite web |url=https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/aschaffenburger-messerattacke-ermittlungen-abgeschlossen |title=Angreifer von Aschaffenburg soll dauerhaft in Psychiatrie |work=BR |date=2025-06-11 |language=de |access-date=2025-06-12}}

Aftermath

The stabbing, along with the car-ramming attack in Munich the following month, contributed significantly to the renewed discussion about immigration policy, particularly deportation of denied asylum seekers, ahead of Germany's snap election in February.{{Cite web |last=Emundts |first=Corinna |title=Bundestagswahl: Wie Aschaffenburg den Wahlkampf verändert |url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/bundestagswahl/analyse-wahlkampf-100.html |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=tagesschau.de |language=de}}{{Cite web |date=2025-04-06 |title=Anschläge in Deutschland: Auffällige russische Suchanfragen |url=https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/deutschland/anschlaege-deutschland-russland-hinweise-100.html |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=ZDFheute |language=de}}{{Cite web |last= |date=24 January 2025 |title=Nach Gewalttat in Aschaffenburg: Wie Ängste die Bundestagswahl beeinflussen |url=https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/braunschweig_harz_goettingen/Goettinger-Angstforscher-Aschaffenburg-wird-Bundestagswahl-beeinflussen,aschaffenburg104.html |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=NDR |language=de}}{{Cite news |last=Eikmanns |first=Frederik |last2=Sittenauer |first2=Amelie |date=2025-02-20 |title=Nach Taten in München und Aschaffenburg: Sicherheit, aber menschlich |url=https://taz.de/Nach-Taten-in-Muenchen-und-Aschaffenburg/!6070749/ |access-date=2025-04-08 |work=Die Tageszeitung: taz |language=de |issn=0931-9085}}

On 5 April 2025, 30-year-old Somali national Ahmed Mohamed Odowaa, one of the men who had chased down the perpetrator, was slated for deportation to Italy per the Dublin Regulation.{{Cite news |date=2025-04-05 |title=Aschaffenburg: Somalier verfolgte Messerangreifer – und soll nun abgeschoben werden |url=https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/aschaffenburg-somalier-verfolgte-messerangreifer-und-soll-nun-abgeschoben-werden-a-75548212-e54e-4cba-a898-3614cca323b9 |access-date=2025-04-08 |work=Der Spiegel |language=de |issn=2195-1349}} This had been planned since October 2024, but due to Odowaa's role as a witness in the murders, the deporation had been delayed.{{Cite web |date=2025-04-07 |title=Helfer von Aschaffenburg: Arbeit statt Abschiebung |url=https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/helfer-von-aschaffenburg-arbeit-statt-abschiebung,UhgSDuw |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=BR24 |language=de}} The order caused outrage online, as Odowaa previously had received praise for his actions by Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder. Within the day, a total of 45,000 signatures were gathered to protest the deportation, and on 7 April, Odowaa received an extended toleration status and approval for his requested work permit.{{Cite web |last=Decker |first=Markus |date=2025-04-07 |title=Attentat von Aschaffenburg: „Held“ Mohamed Odowaa soll doch nicht abgeschoben werden |url=https://www.rnd.de/politik/attentat-von-aschaffenburg-held-mohamed-odowaa-soll-doch-nicht-abgeschoben-werden-LJYJHCOEJJA5VEM5I5SYQBYCKU.html |access-date= |website=RND |language=de}}{{Cite web |last=Przybilla |first=Olaf |date=2025-04-07 |title=Attentat von Aschaffenburg: Mutiger Helfer aus Somalia darf vorerst bleiben |url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/bayern/aschaffenburg-attentat-helfer-ahmed-mohamed-o-abschiebung-li.3232834 |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=Süddeutsche.de |language=de}}