Bottrop and Essen car attack

{{Short description|2019 car attack in Germany}}

{{Old news|date=March 2024}}

{{Infobox civilian attack

| title = Bottrop and Essen car attack

| partof =

| image =

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| alt =

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| map = {{Location map many | Germany North Rhine-Westphalia

| width = 220

| float = center

| label1 = Bottrop

| position1 = top

| coordinates1 = {{coord|51|31|0|N|06|55|0|E|region:DE}}

| label2 = Essen

| position2 = bottom

| coordinates2 = {{coord|51|27|0|N|07|01|0|E|region:DE}}

}}

| map_size =

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| location = Bottrop and Essen, Germany

| target = People of foreign heritage

| coordinates =

| date = 31 December 2018 and 1 January 2019

| time =

| timezone =

| type = Vehicular attack

| fatalities = 0

| injuries = 10{{Cite web|url=https://www.merkur.de/politik/bottrop-essen-amokfahrer-lenkte-auch-in-oberhausen-auto-in-menschen-rassismus-als-motiv-zr-10938971.html|title = Amokfahrt von Bottrop: Fuhr Täter an weiteren Orten gezielt auf Menschen zu?|date = 23 January 2019}}

| victims =

| assailants = Andreas N.{{cite web |url=https://www.nzz.ch/international/anschlag-in-bottrop-klare-absicht-auslaender-zu-toeten-ld.1448467 |title=Anschlag in Bottrop: Haftbefehl gegen Deutschen wegen mehrfachen versuchten Mordes erlassen |trans-title=Attack in Bottrop: Warrant issued against a German men for multiple attempted murders |work=Neue Zürcher Zeitung |date=2 January 2019 |accessdate=2 January 2019 |first=Daniel |last=Haas |language=de}}

| susperp =

| weapons = Silver Mercedes-Benz car{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/germany-man-deliberately-drives-car-at-pedestrians/a-46917056|title=Germany: Man deliberately drives car at pedestrians |date=1 January 2019 |accessdate=2 January 2019 |publisher=Deutsche Welle}}

| motive = acute episode of paranoid schizophrenia

}}

On 31 December 2018 and 1 January 2019, a car was intentionally driven into crowds of people in the cities of Bottrop and Essen in Germany, injuring ten{{Cite web|url=https://www.merkur.de/politik/bottrop-essen-amokfahrer-lenkte-auch-in-oberhausen-auto-in-menschen-rassismus-als-motiv-zr-10938971.html|title = Amokfahrt von Bottrop: Fuhr Täter an weiteren Orten gezielt auf Menschen zu?|date = 23 January 2019}} people.{{cite web |url=http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/bottrop-autofahrer-hatte-die-klare-absicht-auslaender-zu-toeten-a-1246036.html |title=Attacke in Bottrop: Autofahrer hatte die "klare Absicht, Ausländer zu töten" |trans-title=Attack in Bottrop: Car driver had "clear intention to kill foreigners" |work=Spiegel Online |date=1 January 2019 |accessdate=1 January 2019 |language=de}}{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/germany-car-attack-far-right-crowd-injured-syrian-afgan-bottrop-a8706546.html|title=Suspected far-right attacker 'intentionally' rams car into crowd of Syrian and Afghan citizens in Germany |date=1 January 2019|work=The Independent}}{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-germany-car-attack-20190101-story.html |title=Man drives into crowd in Germany, injuring 4 in apparent attack on foreigners, police say|work=Los Angeles Times|date=2 January 2019}} First media reports suspected a terrorist background.{{cite web|url=https://www.merkur.de/politik/bottrop-essen-amokfahrer-wollte-auslaender-toeten-polizei-prueft-rechtsextreme-kontakte-zr-10938971.html |title=Amokfahrt von Bottrop: "Klare Absicht, Ausländer zu töten" – Neue Details zum Täter |trans-title=Amokfahrt von Bottrop: "Clear intention to kill foreigners" – New details on the culprit |date=2 January 2019 |accessdate=2 January 2019 |language=de |work=Merkur}} Later, the perpetrator was admitted to psychiatry and a surveyor certified that he is probably not guilty by reason of mental disease.{{cite web|url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/bottrop-amokfahrer-silvester-1.4299079 |title=Amokfahrer in psychiatrische Klinik eingeliefert |trans-title=Spree killer admitted to psychiatry |date=22 January 2019 |accessdate=25 January 2019 |language=de |work=Süddeutsche Zeitung}}

According to the judgment of the court of December 2019, the act had no xenophobic or terrorist background, but was triggered by an acute episode of paranoid schizophrenia.[https://www.faz.net/aktuell/gesellschaft/kriminalitaet/anschlag-von-silvester-taeter-muss-in-die-psychiatrie-16530229.html Anschlag von Silvester: Täter muss in die Psychiatrie], FAZ.NET, 11. Dezember 2019