2025 Aschaffenburg stabbing attack
Mass stabbing in Aschaffenburg, Germany

2025 Aschaffenburg stabbing
A memorial at the scene
Location49°58′31.879″N 9°9′7.211″E 
Schöntal Park, Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, Germany
Date22 January 2025
11:45 a.m. (CET)
TargetChildren[1]
Attack type
Mass stabbing, child murder
WeaponKitchen knife[2]
Deaths2
Injured3
PerpetratorEnamullah Omarzai
ChargesMurder
Attempted murder
Manslaughter
Attempted manslaughter
Assault
VerdictNot criminally responsible
JudgeKarsten Krebs

On 22 January 2025, a mass stabbing took place at a park in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, Germany. 28-year-old Enamullah Omarzai killed two people and wounded three.[3][4]

Omarzai, an Afghan asylum seeker, was wanted after failing to serve a prison term and had been obligated to leave the country since December 2024. Omarzai was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia and in October 2025, Aschaffenburg court ordered for indefinite involuntary commitment.[1]

The stabbing, along with the car-ramming attack in Munich the following month, contributed significantly to the renewed discussion about immigration policy, particularly deportation of denied asylum seekers, ahead of Germany's snap election in February.[5][6][7][8] The new government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz increased deportations of criminal asylum seekers in part due to the attack.[9]

Attack

The perpetrator entered the Schöntal Park [de] at around 11:30 local time. Inside the park, he followed a kindergarten group, consisting of two female teachers and five children, for fifteen minutes.[10] At 11:45, the perpetrator allegedly ran past the teachers to attack two toddlers who sat inside a toy wagon, pulling off the hat and scarf of a two-year-old Moroccan boy before stabbing him and a two-year-old Syrian girl.[10] The boy died after suffering seven stab wounds while the girl survived with critical injuries.[11]

A 59-year-old teacher tried to save the children, but she was pushed by the knifeman, breaking her hand. Two male passersby, both German nationals, pulled the perpetrator away from the children, leading to a prolonged struggle during which the teachers and the remaining children escaped the scene. The attacker stabbed both men in the back and flank, killing a 41-year-old man and injuring a 72-year-old man.[10][12]

Other passersby, three of whom were armed with pitchforks, chased after the attacker as he fled. Up to fifty people who saw the attacker participated in the search, with two calling the police mid-pursuit.[13] He was then arrested by police two kilometres from the crime scene, outside a train tunnel of the Main Valley Railway near Wilhelm-Hoegner-Anlage,[14] twelve minutes later.[15][16][17]

Perpetrator

The suspect was identified as Enamullah Omarzai (Pashto: إنعام الله عمرزی), born in 1997 in Kunduz, Afghanistan. He arrived in Bulgaria from Turkey in early 2022 and spent some time in France[18] before illegally moving to Germany in November 2022. Four months later he requested the right of asylum.[19] It was however refused in June 2023, with the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees ordering a repatriation to Bulgaria.[20]

At the time of the stabbing, Omarzai had 18 criminal proceedings against him.[21] His criminal record in Germany consisted of serious bodily harm, assault, and falsifying a public transport ticket. For his first offence in March 2023, a physical fight at a refugee centre in Schweinfurt, he was sentenced to a fine of €800, which he ultimately did not pay.[22]

In January 2024, Omarzai visited a psychiatrist after voicing suicidal thoughts.[13] On 13 May 2024, Omarzai had come to a precinct of the Federal Police in Aschaffenburg, seeking medical aid after ingesting "Diamonds". After an ambulance was called, he displayed further erratic behaviour by first attempting to leave before throwing a punch at a nearby policewoman. During a struggle with three officers, Omarzai undid the safety of an officer's sidearm and attempted to grab a baton before being restrained with handcuffs and cable binders. He was treated for a shoulder injury[23] and determined to have been under the influence of cannabis.[22] Psychiatric staff noted that Omarzai constantly switched languages mid-sentence and fluctuated between moods, asking doctors to book him a flight back to Afghanistan the next day. Omarzai was diagnosed with adjustment disorder and a potential polymorphic psychotic disorder with symptoms of schizophrenia before being released the same day. This decision was criticised, as Omarzai had shown clear signs of mental illness and should have been held on account of endangerment to others since he had attempted to grab a police officer's gun.[23] On 6 June 2024, Omarzai stripped naked in front of police at Aschaffenburg Hauptbahnhof and climbed into a salt bin, where he hit his head and fell unconscious.[24][25]

While at refugee accommodations in Alzenau and Werneck, Omarzai was noted for his violent disposition and arrested three times in January and August 2024 for assaulting other refugees. The latter incident, in which Omarzai had also damaged cars and kicked a paramedic in the face while drunk, again led to a psychiatric stay, from which he was released after several hours.[13] On 2 December 2024, Omarzai was sentenced to 40 days imprisonment for failing to pay a fine, but did not show up to prison on 23 December. Omarzai had volunteered to return to Afghanistan after his sentence, for which federal authorities had labelled him obligated to leave the country.[26]

After his conviction, Omarzai was also assigned to mental health counselling,[27][26] which diagnosed him with schizophrenia and prescribed medication.[28][29][30][31] However, Omarzai showed poor progress and maintained concurrent addictions to alcohol and cannabis. He had stopped taking his medication altogether a few days before the attack.[18] Several doctor's reports had described Omarzai as usually calm and polite, yet occasionally confused and irritable, being prone to impulsive action. A final report from early January 2025 stated there were no hints indicating that Omarzai posed a danger to himself or others.[13]

Investigation

Authorities stated that the stabbings were not carried out for a political or religious motive. Omarzai had been previously recorded for mental illness[32][33][34] and was temporarily detained at a psychiatric center after the killings.[20]

In late February 2025 the prosecutor's office informed about an evaluation, which concluded that the attacker may not be responsible for his action due to a psychiatric disease.[35] Doctors suspected that the defendant may be affected by psychosis or schizophrenia, having previously shown to experience persecutory delusions and possibly hallucinations.[36][37] According to statements made by Omarzai, he heard voices of "a devil" and "agents" in his head, who commanded him to kill children on the day of the attack.[1][18] On 11 June 2025, the prosecutor's office stated that it had concluded its investigation, and had requested the regional court to permanently commit the suspect to a psychiatric hospital.[38]

On 30 October 2025, after a six-day trial, Landgericht Aschaffenburg imposed involuntary commitment to a psychiatric institution. The decision had been made in agreement with the prosecution and the defence, as well as in correspondence with surviving victims, who were co-plaintiffs in the trial. Presiding judge Karsten Krebs emphasised that Omarzai was unlikely to be released and that he would be held in a "prison-like environment". An assessor had made a poor prognosis for Omarzai due to belated treatment, prior substance addictions, and social isolation. Deportation was not considered viable, as authorities believed Omarzai would likely return to Germany and pose a substantial risk to the public.[1][39]

Aftermath

On 5 April 2025, 30-year-old Somali national Ahmed Mohamed Odowaa, who had intervened when the two passersby were attacked[40] and was one of three men who had chased down the perpetrator, was slated for deportation to Italy per the Dublin Regulation.[41] This had been planned since October 2024, but due to Odowaa's role as a witness in the murders, the deportation had been delayed.[42] The order caused outrage online, as Odowaa previously had received praise for his actions by Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder and received a Christopherus Medal.[43] Within the day, a total of 45,000 signatures were gathered to protest the deportation, and on 7 April, Odowaa received an extended toleration status and approval for his requested work permit.[44][45] On 22 May 2025, Odowaa wrote a letter published through Main-Echo newspaper, thanking the public for their support. In the writings, Odowaa admitted that his pursuit of the perpetrator was motivated by self-preservation and that he struggled with anxiety and panic attacks since.[46]

In early December 2025, it was reported that Odowaa was again required to leave Germany by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) for continued unemployment, noting that the work permit had been used once, but that no job was taken up by him. Unterfranken authorities recommended a voluntary return, with a deadline for 1 January 2026. The Bavarian Ministry of the Interior also disclosed Odowaa's criminal history before he was publicly honored, consisting of two monetary fines for riding public transport without a ticket and propagation of pornographic contents [de], as well as an open case for trespassing at an immigration office.[47][48] Odowaa subsequently left his accommodations in Würzburg on 15 December[49] and left the country for France. He met with Die Zeit reporters on 24 December in Paris, where he was living homeless. According to Odowaa, he had feared that he would be deported to Somalia rather than Italy and was planning to return to Rome by himself. In regards to the information published by Bavarian authorities, Odowaa pointed out that the work permit was only valid for a specific warehouse job, which rejected him as all positions were already taken and claimed that other job applications in both Aschaffenburg and Würzburg were unsuccessful. Die Zeit and Main-Echo found merit to the latter statements based on available documents from immigration authorities. Odowaa attributed most of the issues to a language barrier and stated that he had only begun receiving German lessons in summer 2025, with further appointments being pushed back from December 2025 to March 2026.[40][48][50] In January 2026, German police filed an arrest warrant for Odowaa for failure to report to BAMF to enforce the obligation to leave the country. If detained in Germany, he is to be placed in remand awaiting deportation.[49]

In August 2025, a 29-year-old policeman who had previously arrested Omarzai for an assault was charged with obstruction of justice. The prosecution alleged that he had failed his duties as the leading officer by not initiating criminal proceedings against Omarzai, who had been detained for injuring his girlfriend with a knife in August 2024.[51] The officer's defence partially attributed his decision to the girlfriend's intoxication and a language barrier, also noting that by the next day, the woman had declined to press charges against Omarzai out of forgiveness.[52][53] On 28 October 2025, the officer was sentenced to five months imprisonment, suspended to a three-year probation, as well as a €3,000 fine to be paid to a charity.[54]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Messerattacke in Aschaffenburg: Beschuldigter muss in Psychiatrie". tagesschau.de (in German). 30 October 2025. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  2. ^ "Tödlicher Messerangriff in Aschaffenburg: Was wir wissen". BR24 (in German). 26 January 2025.
  3. ^ "Two killed in German park in stabbing attack; Afghan suspect arrested". Reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  4. ^ "Tödlicher Messerangriff in Aschaffenburg: Was wir wissen". BR24 (in German). 26 January 2025.
  5. ^ Emundts, Corinna. "Bundestagswahl: Wie Aschaffenburg den Wahlkampf verändert". tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  6. ^ "Anschläge in Deutschland: Auffällige russische Suchanfragen". ZDFheute (in German). 6 April 2025. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  7. ^ "Nach Gewalttat in Aschaffenburg: Wie Ängste die Bundestagswahl beeinflussen". NDR (in German). 24 January 2025. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  8. ^ Eikmanns, Frederik; Sittenauer, Amelie (20 February 2025). "Nach Taten in München und Aschaffenburg: Sicherheit, aber menschlich". Die Tageszeitung: taz (in German). ISSN 0931-9085. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  9. ^ "Messer-Attentäter von Aschaffenburg muss in Psychiatrie". Deutsche Welle (in German). 30 October 2025. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  10. ^ a b c "Staatsanwaltschaft: Schöntal-Angreifer soll dauerhaft in Psychiatrie" [Public prosecutor: Schöntal attacker to be permanently committed to psychiatric ward]. Main-Echo (in German). 11 June 2025. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
  11. ^ "Minister liefert weitere Details zur Aschaffenburg-Bluttat" [Minister provides further details about the bloody deed of Aschaffenburg]. n-tv.de (in German). 29 January 2025.
  12. ^ "Polizist über Messerangriff: "Die Kinder waren in einem Bollerwagen"". Welt TV (in German). 23 January 2025.
  13. ^ a b c d "Angriff von Aschaffenburg: Drei Gärtner kamen mit Mistgabeln". FAZ.NET (in German). 23 October 2025. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  14. ^ "Pressemitteilung 23/2025". Bayerisches Staatsministerium der Justiz. 11 June 2025.
  15. ^ Kuhles, Julia; Breninek, Pirmin; Sauer, Carlotta; Behringer, Eva; Erdtracht, Till (26 January 2025). "Tödlicher Messerangriff in Aschaffenburg: Was wir wissen" [Deadly knife attack in Aschaffenburg: what we know]. BR24 (in German). Retrieved 12 June 2025.
  16. ^ Filthaus, Katrin (22 January 2025). "Bluttat im Aschaffenburger Park Schöntal: Täter ausreisepflichtiger Afghane mit psychischen Problemen". Main-Echo. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  17. ^ Mörwald, Carmen (30 January 2025). "Mann (45) wird nach Messerangriff in Aschaffenburg zum Helden – Tatverdächtiger "hat wahllos zugestochen"". Frankfurter Rundschau (in German). Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  18. ^ a b c "Gutachter zu Messerangreifer: "Massiv denkgestörter Mensch"". BR24 (in German). 30 October 2025. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  19. ^ Spilcker, Axel (24 January 2025). "Warum war Mörder noch bei uns? Jetzt tauchen Zweifel an Aussagen der Bayern auf" [Why was the murderer still in our country? Doubts about statements by Bavaria emerging]. Focus (in German).
  20. ^ a b "Messerangriff auf Kindergartengruppe in Aschaffenburg – zwei Tote" [Knife attack on kindergarten group in Aschaffenburg – two deaths]. Spiegel Online (in German). 22 January 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  21. ^ Balbierer, Thomas (29 January 2025). "Messerangriff in Aschaffenburg: 18 Strafverfahren gegen den Angreifer". Süddeutsche (in German). Retrieved 8 April 2025.
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  23. ^ a b Weinhold Hernandez, Max (23 October 2025). "Aschaffenburg: Trotz eindeutig krankhafter Anzeichen – Enamullah O. kam nie dauerhaft in Psychiatrie". Süddeutsche (in German). Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  24. ^ Luther, Philipp (24 January 2025). "Was wir über Tat und Täter von Aschaffenburg wissen". Berliner Morgenpost (in German). Retrieved 30 October 2025.
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  26. ^ a b "Enamullah O. und sein Gang durch die Drehtüren". stern. 24 January 2025.
  27. ^ "Entsetzen nach Angriff auf Kindergruppe mit zwei Toten in Aschaffenburg". tagesschau.de (in German). 23 January 2025. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
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  29. ^ "Tödlicher Messerangriff in Aschaffenburg: Was wir wissen". BR24 (in German). 26 January 2025.
  30. ^ "Messerangriff im Januar - Gutachten: Täter von Aschaffenburg laut Sachverständigen psychisch krank und schuldunfähig". Deutschlandfunk (in German). 21 May 2025.
  31. ^ "StA: Sicherungsverfahren für Aschaffenburg-Verdächtigen". Legal Tribune Online (in German). 11 June 2025. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  32. ^ Garellts, Nantke (24 January 2025). "Gefahr durch psychisch erkrankte Einzeltäter: Neue Regeln oder bessere Gesetzesumsetzung?". Der Tagesspiegel Online (in German). ISSN 1865-2263. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  33. ^ "Das ist über Enamullah O. bekannt" [This is what is known about Enamullah O.]. t-online (in German). 23 January 2025. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  34. ^ Kubeth, Levin (23 January 2025). "(S+) Gewalttat in Aschaffenburg: "Natürlich hätte die Gefahr erkannt werden müssen"". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  35. ^ "Mutmaßlicher Täter von Aschaffenburg wohl schuldunfähig" [Alleged perpetrator of Aschaffenburg probably incapable of guilt]. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). 28 February 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  36. ^ "Aschaffenburg: Was Ärzte über Enamullah O. und seinen Zustand sagten". stern.de (in German). Archived from the original on 10 February 2025. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  37. ^ Schwilden, Frédéric (8 February 2025). "Magdeburg und Aschaffenburg: Psychisch kranke Gewalttäter und der voreilige Trugschluss". DIE WELT (in German). Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  38. ^ "Angreifer von Aschaffenburg soll dauerhaft in Psychiatrie". BR (in German). 11 June 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
  39. ^ "Messerangreifer von Aschaffenburg muss in Psychiatrie". BR24 (in German). 30 October 2025. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  40. ^ a b Langemann, Simon; Keo, William (30 December 2025). "Helfer von Aschaffenburg: "I love Deutschland. My Problem: Ausländerbehörde"". Die Zeit (in German). ISSN 0044-2070.
  41. ^ "Aschaffenburg: Somalier verfolgte Messerangreifer – und soll nun abgeschoben werden". Der Spiegel (in German). 5 April 2025. ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  42. ^ "Helfer von Aschaffenburg: Arbeit statt Abschiebung". BR24 (in German). 7 April 2025. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  43. ^ "Trotz Zivilcourage: "Held von Aschaffenburg" soll nun doch abgeschoben werden". FOCUS. 9 December 2025.
  44. ^ Decker, Markus (7 April 2025). "Attentat von Aschaffenburg: "Held" Mohamed Odowaa soll doch nicht abgeschoben werden". RND (in German).
  45. ^ Przybilla, Olaf (7 April 2025). "Attentat von Aschaffenburg: Mutiger Helfer aus Somalia darf vorerst bleiben". Süddeutsche.de (in German). Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  46. ^ "Ein Dankeschön von Ahmed Mohamed Odowaa". Main-Echo. 22 May 2025.
  47. ^ "Abschiebung von Aschaffenburg-Helfer: Neue Details". BR24 (in German). 10 December 2025.
  48. ^ a b "Schöntal-Helfer: Ahmed Mohamed Odowaa verlässt Deutschland". Main-Echo (in German). 20 December 2025.
  49. ^ a b "Helfer von Aschaffenburg zur Festnahme ausgeschrieben". FAZ.de (in German). 7 January 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  50. ^ "Aschaffenburg: Darf der Schöntal-Helfer Odowaa jetzt endlich in Deutschland bleiben?". Main-Echo (in German). 27 November 2025.
  51. ^ "Polizist wegen des Verdachts der Strafvereitelung angeklagt" [Policeman charged with suspected obstruction of justice]. Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). 6 August 2025. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
  52. ^ "Irgendwann platzt dem Richter der Kragen: "Absolute Schlampigkeit!"". stern (in German). 28 October 2025. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  53. ^ Weinhold Hernandez, Max (28 October 2025). "Vorfall vor Messerangriff in Aschaffenburg: So dürfen Polizisten nicht arbeiten". Süddeutsche (in German). Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  54. ^ "Aschaffenburg: "Er hat halt nix gemacht, gar nix" – Polizist erhält Haftstrafe". DIE WELT (in German). 28 October 2025. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
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