A 15-year-old from northern Iraq has been arrested after a 16-year-old boy was critically injured in a knife attack near a Christmas market in the western German town of Herford.
The suspect was taken into custody after initially fleeing the scene following the attack on Thursday evening. Police said the stabbing occurred in a side street on the edge of the city’s Christmas market at around 7:30 p.m.
The victim was stabbed in the back and suffered life-threatening injuries. He was taken to hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
According to a police spokesman, investigators are treating the case as attempted manslaughter in conjunction with aggravated assault. A homicide unit from the Bielefeld police headquarters has taken over the investigation.
Initial findings indicate that the suspect and the victim knew each other, though authorities have not commented on a possible motive. Police have also not confirmed the suspect’s legal status, saying only that his nationality remains unclear.
Witnesses told local media that the injured teenager sought help at a nearby church after the attack and managed to move only a short distance before collapsing. A large police operation, including the use of sniffer dogs, was launched to track down the suspect before his arrest.
Despite the detention, police have continued to appeal for witnesses to come forward, saying further information could help clarify the circumstances surrounding the attack.
AfD co-leader Alice Weidel blamed migration policy for knife violence in a post on X, writing that Germany was “no longer the country it once was” and calling for tougher measures.
