‘Psychologically disturbed’: Minister on Christmas market attack suspect

Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on Monday there are indications that the Saudi suspect in a deadly car-ramming attack on a Christmas market 10 days ago was mentally ill.

Faeser told reporters that no motive had yet been established, but “there are striking signs of a pathological psyche”.

She added that lessons must be learnt on how to track potential “perpetrators who are psychologically disturbed and … driven by confused conspiracy theories”.

“Such attackers do not fit any threat profile,” she said, warning that security services will need “other indicators and action plans” to deal with them.

Faeser was speaking after answering questions in a closed-door parliamentary committee examining the background to the December 20 attack which left five people dead and wounded more than 200.