The Afghan failed asylum seeker who stabbed to death a two-year-old boy and a 41-year-old man in a brutal knife attack targeting a daycare group in Aschaffenburg earlier this year will likely not stand trial after being declared mentally unfit.
A medical expert concluded that the 28-year-old suspect, Enamullah O., was suffering from a psychiatric illness so severe at the time of the crime that he could not comprehend the wrongfulness of his actions.
As a result, prosecutors announced on Tuesday evening that Enamullah O. will likely face no prison time. Instead, they have filed for a precautionary procedure that would lead to his permanent placement in a psychiatric hospital.
“The expert assumes that from a medical point of view, the accused lacked the ability to see the injustice of the act as a result of a psychiatric illness,” the public prosecutor’s office stated in response to a press inquiry.
“The psychiatric illness of the accused is not only temporary and, if it cannot be permanently reduced, it is very likely that further, even highly aggressive acts, can be expected,” it added.
The attack occurred on Jan. 22, 2025, in Schöntal Park, where a group of daycare children were on a walk with kindergarten staff. According to investigators, Enamullah O. approached the group and targeted a 2-year-old boy. Without warning, he removed the child’s hat and scarf and stabbed him repeatedly with a 32-centimeter kitchen knife. The child died of his wounds.
A 41-year-old passerby who tried to intervene was also fatally stabbed. Three other people, including another young child and a daycare worker, were seriously injured.
The suspect, who was under a deportation order at the time of the attack, had arrived in Germany in November 2022 after traveling through Bulgaria, Austria, and France. He claimed asylum and was housed in Alzenau, Lower Franconia. Authorities were aware of his presence and criminal record, which included multiple offenses such as drug possession and involvement in violent incidents. He had also been admitted to psychiatric hospitals on several occasions.
Despite being scheduled for deportation to Bulgaria by the end of 2024, Enamullah O. remained in Germany. In December, he wrote to immigration authorities stating he would voluntarily leave, but he failed to attend follow-up appointments and was not removed from the country.
While the prosecution initially laid out charges including murder and attempted murder, the proceedings now focus solely on ensuring the suspect remains confined in a secure psychiatric facility to prevent further harm.
Authorities have not disclosed the specific psychiatric diagnosis for privacy reasons. Until the court rules on the application for his indefinite confinement, the suspect remains provisionally held in a psychiatric institution.
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