Hamburg calls for a comprehensive concept against psychological threats after an attack

Hamburg calls for a comprehensive concept against psychological threats after an attack

In the Hanseatic city of Hamburg, the waves are running high after a tragic knife attack at the main train station in May triggered a wave of outrage and concern. A 39-year-old woman seriously injured 18 people just one day after she was released from a psychiatric clinic in Lower Saxony. Loud World It turned out that the woman had already attracted attention for acts of violence in the past. This threatening event now has far-reaching consequences.

In order to prevent such incidents in the future, Hamburg's interior authorities have introduced new measures. The plan is to improve cross-border cooperation in dealing with mentally ill people and to set up a system for the early detection of risks. At the upcoming Interior Ministers' Conference in Bremerhaven, a corresponding proposed resolution will be discussed that provides for better coordination between security and health authorities. The aim is to make information about mental illnesses available to the police. These measures are part of the coalition agreement of the black-red federal government, which provides for early identification of risks.

Proposed measures in detail

A central element of the proposed plan is the establishment of a national competence center for risk assessment, which will pool the expertise of police and psychologists. This initiative was launched in response to incidents such as the knife attack in Hamburg and the Jehovah's Witness shooting, with Hamburg having had a competence center for risk assessment (KORIS) since October 2024. So far, this team consists of around 30 experts who work intensively with potentially dangerous people with psychological problems.

Nevertheless, current events show that these measures are not enough: the Hamburg police had no information about the perpetrator before the attack at the main train station. This raises the question of whether sufficient cross-border information is shared. Another incident on the Pentecost weekend in Munich, in which a woman also attacked several people with a knife and was ultimately shot by the police, illustrates the urgency of preventive measures. This perpetrator had also previously drawn attention to herself through conspicuous behavior.

Mental health in focus

Mental health is also a hot topic at European level. According to the WHO Mental illness affects over 150 million people in the European Region, and only a third of those affected receive the help they need. A newly founded mental health alliance has set itself the goal of addressing deficits in care in order to sustainably improve the situation.

Hamburg's proposals for risk assessment and dealing with mentally ill people could therefore be part of a more comprehensive strategy. The exchange between different authorities, be they security or health authorities, should be intensified. Jan Reinecke from the Association of German Criminal Police Officers supports the Interior Authority's approaches, while the Conference of Health Ministers in Weimar is also discussing the exchange of information between social, judicial and security authorities.

The challenges are great, and especially at the current time, when social inequality and stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are increasing, it is crucial to effectively promote and protect mental health. It is up to all of us to find solutions that both support vulnerable people and ensure public safety.