A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the fatal stabbing of a police officer in Mannheim, following a trial at the Stuttgart Regional Court on Tuesday. The court found the defendant guilty of murder, among other charges and affirmed the presence of an aggravating circumstance, a legal designation signifying exceptional severity of guilt.
The verdict aligns with the prosecution’s request, which had accused the Afghan national of murder, as well as five counts of attempted murder and aggravated assault. While the defense also proposed a life sentence, they did not request the designation of an aggravating circumstance.
The attack occurred in Mannheim’s city center, initially targeting a board member of the organization Pax Europa, which focuses on issues related to Islam. Following this initial attack, multiple police officers responded to the scene, resulting in the fatal stabbing of the officer.
During the trial, the defendant reportedly confessed to carrying out the attack claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group and characterizing it as a deliberate assault on a demonstration critical of Islam.