Start of Christmas market: Magdeburg attack – who takes on responsibility?

Almost four months after the attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market, the city council made a decision: This year there is again a Christmas market in the state capital of Saxony -Anhalt – in the same place where the attack took place on the old market in front of the town hall. There, a man from Saudi Arabia was raced through the crowd last year, had killed six people and had seriously injured more than 300.

Preparations for the Christmas market are already underway, the processing of the attack: There is an investigation committee in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt and a special committee in the city council. Should the Christmas market should be better protected? There are no major consequences. But what has happened in Magdeburg in the past four months?

The victims – compensation planned

According to the Attorney General Naumburg, 327 people were physically injured in the attack on December 20, 2024 and six people were killed. The first aid for those affected were launched promptly after the death trip, and money payments should also be helped.

The perpetrator – the investigation lasts

For the public prosecutor, the investigation into the perpetrator Taleb A. has priority. A psychiatric report is to be created. This has not been available so far. The assessment is not easy due to the lack of cooperation between the man, according to judicial circles. The perpetrator is in custody.

Taleb A. has been relocated to the JVA Leipzig with hospital again this week. He is said to have partially denied food intake and noticed by rebellious behavior.

The possible process – many co -plaintiffs to be expected

If there is an indictment against Taleb A., Saxony-Anhalt’s judiciary faces a challenge. So far, more than 80 co -plaintiffs have registered, all of whom would possibly come with their own lawyer. There is no courtroom in which a process with several hundred participants could take place. Available options are checked. In Hesse, a metal light building hall was once built for a Reich citizen process-such a solution may also be considered here.

The political work -up

The parliamentary committee of inquiry in the state parliament initially deals with the crime itself and the rescue operation. Immediately after the attack, the rescue workers were supported by many first aiders and doctors who were on site privately. This is also why, from the perspective of doctors, there were comparatively few deaths, as made clear in the committee.

The MPs later also want to investigate structural questions. In the next few months, it is to be examined how it could be that several security authorities were repeatedly dealt with with the perpetrator, but ultimately fell through all grids.

The question of responsibility

The authorities put responsibility for the security gaps. There are several ads against employees of the city and the Christmas market. There were no recoverable bollards in the area of ​​access.

The operating company rejects the allegation of not having secured the market. The defense against criminal dangers such as amok and terror are responsible for state organs, said managing director Paul-Gerhard Stieger of the German Press Agency. “As part of the acceptance, there were no requirements for Christmas market GmbH.”

The city shows the responsibility towards the police. In 2024, the police did not provide any evidence of a specific danger or an increased risk of attack, said a city spokesman. “Even in previous years, the police were given no evidence of an increased probability of attacks with motor vehicles as part of the opinion on the security concept.”

The police reject this allegation. A close exchange took place last year, “also with a view to possible hazardous situations such as terrorist attacks or amoking,” said a police spokeswoman. “The abstract risk situation was continuously observed and regularly discussed with the city administration in joint meetings.”

It is intensively processed what the security concept provided for the technical protection of escape and escape routes and “whether these measures have been implemented by the organizer and if not, why not”.