Bischöfin criticizes omissions after racist assassination in Hanau

Bischöfin criticizes omissions after racist assassination in Hanau

On February 16, 2025, a memorial service took place in the Hanau Marienkirche to commemorate the victims of the racist attack in Hanau. The Bishop of Kurhessen-Waldeck, Beate Hofmann, took the opportunity to sharply criticize the insufficient processing of what is happening. She emphasized that the missed mistakes were "not adequately recognized" and that political interests made mourning difficult. In her speeches, Hofmann demanded a message of reconciliation and made it clear that violence could not be combated with more violence. She referred to the office of former US President Donald Trump and his possible effects on social cohesion and justice in Germany.

The brutal attack occurred on February 19, 2020, when 43-year-old Tobias R. murdered nine people out of racist motifs in Hanau before he killed his mother and then committed suicide. The victims of the attack were: Gökhan Gültekin, Sedat Gürbüz, Said Nesar Hashemi, Mercedes Kierpacz, Hamza Kurtović, Vili Viorel Păun, Fatih Saraçoğlu, Ferhat Unvar and Kaloyan Velkov. Six other people were seriously injured in this devastating incident. An expert opinion certified Tobias R. paranoid schizophrenia and it turned out that he was pending to an extreme right ideology. He had previously appeared with racist pamphletes and videos.

Examination committee and Enlightenment

The case is currently being politically and socially processed. An investigation committee of the Hessian state parliament, which was deployed in 2021, had the task of clarifying the failures of the police and other authorities. During the examination it turned out that the security authorities could not recognize the risk of the perpetrator at an early stage, which led to the serious act. In the final report it was found that questions about the armor's gun ownership and a closed emergency exit were not sufficiently treated.

The relatives of the victims repeatedly expressed their dissatisfaction with the way the investigation was conducted. They called for a more comprehensive information and pointed out overload in the police call, which may have hindered the timely intervention of the security forces in good time. In total in Germany between 2016 and September 2021, 22 people were killed by right -wing extremist perpetrators, which underlines the urgency of further measures against right -wing extremism and racism.

memorial events and future

Numerous memorial events are planned in the run -up to the fifth anniversary of the attack. Among other things, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will hold a commemoration in Hanau next Wednesday. A demonstration with the motto "Reminding means changing" took place on the last Saturday on the Hanau market square. According to the police, up to 1,000 people took part in the rally, while the organizers reported around 1,500 participants. Such initiatives are supported by the Federal Government by a package of measures with 89 initiatives, which should provide over one billion euros by 2024.

The initiative "The Partnership for Democracy in Hanau", which promotes the memory of the victims of the attack under the hashtag #saytheirengirnames, exemplifies the efforts of an active examination of the topic of racism in society. The people who have lost their lives in Hanau should be remembered and serve as a reminder for future generations.