Achi news desk-
CNN
–
A Berlin parliamentarian was attacked while visiting a library on Tuesday, amid what appears to be a growing trend of violence against politicians in Germany.
Franziska Giffey, Berlin’s economy parliamentarian, was hit over the head with a bag containing hard material as she visited the library in her district in the German capital on Tuesday afternoon, the Berlin prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Giffey, the former mayor of Berlin, described the moment of the attack on Instagram, saying “Suddenly, I felt a hard blow to my head and neck from behind. A man had attacked me with a bag full of hard contents.”
The alleged perpetrator has been identified as a 74-year-old man, according to the prosecutor’s office, which added that he had previously been charged with state security and hate crimes and that there were indications that he suffered from mental illness .
“The 74-year-old has previously been charged by the police with state security and hate crimes. However, investigations into the motive of the accused for yesterday’s attack are still ongoing,” said a statement.
“The accused is to be brought before an investigating judge today. As there are indications that the accused is mentally ill, the Berlin public prosecutor’s office is to be ordered to commit him to a psychiatric hospital in accordance with Section 126a of the Code of Criminal Procedure. ”
It comes days after a member of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the European Parliament were attacked and seriously injured in Dresden, eastern Germany.
Separately, Saxony state police said two people had been detained over another attack on a female Green Party politician in Dresden on Tuesday night. The 47-year-old woman, who has not been named, had been putting up posters when two people attacked her.
The Green party in Saxony wrote on X that its members would continue to campaign, and that they would not be intimidated. He also said he would support a draft law to increase legislation relating to protection against attacks on politicians.
Berlin Senator Giffey commented on the increasing attacks, saying she was “concerned and shocked by the growing ‘wild animal culture’ that politically active and committed people in our country are increasingly becoming open to justifiable and motivated attacks.”
Meanwhile Scholz described the attacks on Giffey and other politicians as “outrageous and cowardly.”
“Violence does not belong in a democratic debate. Those who are decent and sensible are clearly against this – and they are the majority!”
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also went to X to talk about the safety of politicians in the wake of Wednesday’s attack. “We must protect all those who stand for our democracy,” he wrote. “Regardless of party.”
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