German authorities criticised after Pride attack

German authorities are under fire following a fatal attack that marred a Pride event near Berlin over the weekend. Critics, including politicians, security experts, and a police union, are questioning the failure to prevent the deadly vehicle and machete assault.

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The danger from this man was underestimated.

The presumed attacker, 21-year-old Abdul Ballout, was shot dead by police on Sunday evening. He had driven a rented minivan into a crowd and then attacked people with a machete, killing a 65-year-old Polish woman and injuring 29 others on the edge of Berlin's Tiergarten park. The victim was reportedly in Berlin to celebrate Pride with her daughter, who survived the incident.

Security experts like Rolf Tophoven of the Institute for Terrorism Research and Security Policy expressed concern, stating, "The danger from this man was underestimated." Ballout, a German citizen of Lebanese descent, had a history of convictions for offenses including bodily harm, extortion, and robbery. He had also attempted to join the Islamic State group in Syria.

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It is too early to say what political conclusions we will draw from this brutal attack, but it is clear that we will have to go beyond just announcements.

Prosecutors had appealed the suspension of a previous jail sentence for Ballout, who had been convicted of "planning a serious act of subversive violence." The sentence was suspended partly due to time already served in Lebanon and pre-trial detention, and his admission of guilt coupled with claims of distancing himself from IS. The attack occurs just months before Berliners elect a new city assembly, with the far-right AfD party potentially emerging as a significant force.

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We will have to answer the question of how it is that a man with this profile could get close (to the parade) unhindered and commit this sort of attack.