Two Dead in German Park Stabbing, Afghan Suspect Arrested

ASCHAFFENBURG, Germany — A two-year-old boy and a 41-year-old man were killed in a stabbing attack at a public park in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, on Wednesday, authorities confirmed. A 28-year-old Afghan national, who had been undergoing psychiatric treatment, was arrested near the scene.

The attack occurred around 11:45 a.m. local time at Schöntal Park, located about 22 miles southeast of Frankfurt. Two others sustained serious injuries and were hospitalized. The park was cordoned off as police investigated the incident.

Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann stated that the suspect had been detained at least three times previously for violent behavior but was released after psychiatric treatment. His asylum claim had been rejected, and he was due to return to Afghanistan. Herrmann added that the suspect had no apparent ties to radical Islam.

The victims included a Moroccan boy and a German passerby who attempted to intervene. Bavarian State Premier Markus Söder described the man as “a helper who paid for his civil courage with his own life.” Söder condemned the attack as a “cowardly and despicable act.”

Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who was in France at the time, called the incident an “unbelievable act of terror” and expressed frustration over recurring violence. “I am sick and tired of seeing such acts of violence occurring here every few weeks,” Scholz said in a statement.

The attack has reignited debates over Germany’s asylum policies, particularly with federal elections approaching on Feb. 23. Friedrich Merz, leader of the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU), vowed to impose immediate border controls if elected, calling for stricter immigration measures. “We are faced with the ruins of a ten-year-long misguided asylum and immigration policy in Germany,” Merz said.

This incident follows a series of violent attacks in Germany, including a December car ramming at a Christmas market in Magdeburg that left five dead. The suspect in that case, a Saudi doctor, has been charged. In August, three people were fatally stabbed in Solingen by a Syrian national facing deportation.

Police said the investigation into the Aschaffenburg attack is ongoing, with the suspect expected to appear before a judge to determine pre-trial detention. Authorities emphasized there is no ongoing danger to the public.