Hamburg fights for better security in psychopaths after a knife attack

Hamburg fights for better security in psychopaths after a knife attack

In Hamburg, an extremely tragic event causes concern and new discussions about dealing with mentally ill people. A woman recently injured 18 people with a knife at the main train station. The shock sits deeply, especially since the perpetrator was released from a psychiatric clinic in Lower Saxony just a day before. She had previously drawn attention to herself through acts of violence. Against this background, the city urges urgent reforms to prevent such incidents in the future. Welt should be presented.

The Hamburg interior authority has clear goals: improved cross-border cooperation between security and health authorities. It is important to significantly reduce the risk of risk from mentally ill people. A spokesman for the interior authority, Daniel Schaefer, emphasized the need to make relevant information on mental illnesses of the police accessible. These findings are to be forced in common risk management in order to be able to recognize and counter risks at an early stage. ndr emphasizes that this also aims at the incidents in Munich, where another woman was similarly disturbing.

suggestions for a sustainable solution

As part of the planned system for early detection, the introduction of a national competence center for risk assessment is planned, which combines the expertise of police authorities and psychological experts. There is already a similar model in Hamburg: the competence center for risk assessment (Koris), which has been working since October 2024. In view of the repeated flaming acts of violence, such a system is urgently needed.

This is not just about reactive measures, but also about preventive strategies. Hamburg calls for the creation of legitimate options to examine medical monitoring or the obligation to take out therapy. A system for checking medication intake after closed accommodation should also be legally anchored.

the European context

The challenges with which cities like Hamburg are confronted are also reflected at European level. According to the WHO, over 150 million people with mental illnesses live in Europe, and only a third of them receive the necessary care. The goal of the newly founded Pan-European initiative for mental health is to improve care and to tackle social inequalities that endanger mental health. Who> emphasizes that mental health is an essential component of individual and collective well-being.