Attacker jailed over stabbing at Berlin Holocaust memorial

"The victim only survived because the defendant missed major blood vessels by a few millimetres. He approached the 30-year-old victim from behind, among the concrete steles of the memorial, and inflicted a 14-centimetre-long cut to his throat with a knife. The victim, who was visiting the memorial with two friends, was badly wounded but managed to stagger out of the steles before collapsing in front of the memorial."

"Presiding judge Doris Husch said Al M. had committed the crime in the name of the Islamic State (IS) group. Prosecutors said Al M. had internalised IS ideology, rejected the Western way of life, and was convinced that a holy war against infidels must be waged worldwide."

"In a statement before the trial, the court said Al M. had intended to target a person of the Jewish faith. During the trial, Al M. confessed to the crime, which he said had been motivated by his radicalisation and belief he was acting with a religious mission."

A Berlin court convicted Wassim Al M., a 20-year-old Syrian, of attempted murder, grievous bodily harm, and attempted membership of a terrorist organization following a knife attack on a Spanish tourist at the Holocaust memorial. The victim, a 30-year-old man, survived a 14-centimetre throat wound only because the attacker missed major blood vessels by millimetres. The court determined Al M. committed the crime in the name of Islamic State, targeting someone of Jewish faith. The defendant confessed during trial, citing radicalization and religious motivation. Prosecutors established that Al M. had internalized IS ideology and rejected Western values. The judges applied adult sentencing despite the defendant's age at the time, based on his psychological maturity.

Read at The Local Germany