Solingen Attack: The Refugee Minister is accused of providing false information about the details of the attack
In the wake of the deadly terrorist attack in Solingen, questions are being raised about how information is handled by the Ministry of Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Refugees, and Integration in North Rhine-Westphalia. A new letter from Secretary General Daniela Lismeister suggests that Minister Yvonne Boul may have provided misleading information regarding the details of the attack.
The attack, which occurred during a festival, resulted in the deaths of three people and injuries to eight others. In the days following the incident, Minister Paul claimed that she did not receive complete information about the scale of the attack until two days later. However, a message from Leismeister obtained by the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger contradicts this claim. The message reveals that the Ministry of Refugees had been informed of the details of the attack on the same day it occurred. Leismeister stated that she spoke with Minister Paul’s counterpart, Lorenz Bahr, the day after the attack. "The conversation lasted a few minutes and focused on the current state of knowledge. In my view, no questions remained unanswered," the message stated.
So far, the Ministry of Refugees has announced that there was no information available regarding the attack on the Saturday following the incident. This new information raises doubts about the ministry's transparency and the sequence of events presented to the public.
The attacker in Solingen, who was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month, had previously been linked to extremist Islamic groups. The court found that the crime was particularly serious and imposed preventive detention, with an appeal pending in the Supreme Court.
This new development has sparked a political debate about the role of the state in preventing such attacks and the effectiveness of its communication during crises. As investigations continue, concerns are growing about the level of preparedness and the accuracy of the information shared by government officials with the public.