German court orders Afghan who killed toddler in knife attack into care

By Tilman Blasshofer

ASCHAFFENBURG, Germany (Reuters) -A German judge ordered an Afghan national to be sent into psychiatric care after he fatally stabbed two people, including a toddler, nine months ago in an attack that shocked the country.

Prosecutors had argued that the man, identified as Enamullah O. in line with German privacy laws, killed a German man and a two-year-old in January as he attacked a kindergarten group in the western city of Aschaffenburg.

The man, who was 28 at the time, was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and the hearing was a special legal procedure rather than a criminal trial, as he was deemed not criminally responsible due to his mental condition.

A court spokesperson confirmed the ruling that he be taken into psychiatric care.

The attack took place a month before Germany's federal election in February and contributed to a decision by now-Chancellor Friedrich Merz to introduce stricter migration policies and tighten border controls.

It was one of a string of violent attacks which raised concerns over migration and fuelled support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is topping some opinion polls.

(Reporting by Tilman BlasshoferWriting by Madeline Chambers; editing by Matthias Williams and Gareth Jones)