In Germany, the parliamentary committee on internal affairs recently interrogated security and intelligence officials about potential mistakes leading up to the deadly attack at the Christmas market in Magdeburg.
According to reports, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and officials from the state of Saxony-Anhalt, whose capital is Magdeburg, appeared before lawmakers.
During the hearing, Faeser stated that the suspected attacker showed “clear signs of pathological mental health.” However, she emphasized that the motive for the attack still needs to be determined.
After the hearing on Monday, Konstantin Küchle, a member of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), said, “Federal and state authorities were aware of this criminal, but no one connected the dots.”
Both the CDU (Christian Democratic Union) and FDP have called for strengthening Germany’s security apparatus, including improving coordination between federal and state authorities.
The attack on December 20, when a man drove through a crowd at the Christmas market in Magdeburg, resulted in five fatalities, including a nine-year-old boy.
