German authorities seek mental evaluation of Magdeburg attack suspect

German prosecutors are commissioning a detailed mental evaluation of the suspected attacker behind a vehicle rampage through the crowded Magdeburg Christmas market that left five dead and more than 230 injured.

The suspect, identified as 50-year-old Taleb A, drove his car through the market on December 20 and has been held in custody since the rampage. The man, a physician who is originally from Saudi Arabia, had been known to authorities before the attack.

“We will commission an expert opinion on whether and in what way he is mentally ill,” a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office told dpa on Thursday.

The expert opinion is expected to consider whether Taleb A can be held criminally culpable under German law.

The public prosecutor’s office confirmed to dpa that a will dated on the day of the attack had been found in the suspect’s car.

Whether the man had written the will himself remains under investigation, the spokesman said.

A rapid drug test and subsequently a blood test were carried out after the offence. However, the public prosecutor’s office would not comment on the individual results of the investigation.

The doctor’s home and workplace in the town of Bernburg, about 40 kilometres south of Magdeburg, were searched after the crime.

The investigation is expected to continue for weeks.

In addition to the suspect’s actions, the investigation is also expected to review the security plans in place at the Christmas market and whether local police were adequately prepared to respond to an attack.

German prosecutors are commissioning a detailed mental evaluation of the suspected attacker behind a vehicle rampage through the crowded Magdeburg Christmas market that left five dead and more than 230 injured.

The suspect, identified as 50-year-old Taleb A, drove his car through the market on December 20 and has been held in custody since the rampage. The man, a physician who is originally from Saudi Arabia, had been known to authorities before the attack.

“We will commission an expert opinion on whether and in what way he is mentally ill,” a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office told dpa on Thursday.

The expert opinion is expected to consider whether Taleb A can be held criminally culpable under German law.

The public prosecutor’s office confirmed to dpa that a will dated on the day of the attack had been found in the suspect’s car.

Whether the man had written the will himself remains under investigation, the spokesman said.

A rapid drug test and subsequently a blood test were carried out after the offence. However, the public prosecutor’s office would not comment on the individual results of the investigation.

The doctor’s home and workplace in the town of Bernburg, about 40 kilometres south of Magdeburg, were searched after the crime.

The investigation is expected to continue for weeks.

In addition to the suspect’s actions, the investigation is also expected to review the security plans in place at the Christmas market and whether local police were adequately prepared to respond to an attack.