The German Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (Generalbundesanwalt) has taken over the investigation into the Munich car attack from the Munich State Public Prosecutor’s Office. The move is justified by the “particular significance of the case”.
The suspect, an Afghan national, is accused of attempted murder, dangerous bodily harm and serious interference with traffic, according to the Generalbundesanwalt. He is alleged to have deliberately driven a car into a Verdi event in the Munich city center on the morning of February 13, 2025, injuring at least 39 people, some of whom are in life-threatening or severe condition.
There is a suspicion that the attack was religiously motivated and can be understood as an assault on the free democratic basic order, making it suitable for impinging on the internal security of the Federal Republic of Germany. The criminal police investigations will be continued by the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office.
Federal Justice Minister Volker Wissing (independent) sees the takeover by the Generalbundesanwalt as a sign of high priority. He finds it deeply disturbing that “another apparently religiously motivated perpetrator” has injured innocent citizens. “The images of yesterday still haunt us”, he said. “However, the takeover of the investigations by the Generalbundesanwalt shows that we give the highest priority to the pursuit of such violent acts.” He has “complete trust” in the Generalbundesanwalt and the involved law enforcement agencies. “They will proceed with decisive consequences in this case”, Wissing added.
As the indications of an extremist attack have intensified, Federal Victim Ombudsman Roland Weber will take over the support and care for the affected individuals. “It is now our duty to care for those who were physically and emotionally injured yesterday. I do not just share their pain; I want to tell them that the government stands by their side”, the minister said. “I wish those still fighting for their lives in the hospitals a speedy recovery from the heart”.