Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to take action following the tragic vehicle ramming incident at the Berlin Pride event, expressing concerns about why the suspected driver was not already in prison. Merz emphasized that it is premature to determine the political repercussions of the event, but stressed the importance of responding with both caution and resolve.
The perpetrator, identified as 21-year-old German citizen Abdul Ballout, was fatally shot by police and was previously convicted of planning a violent act, with alleged ties to the Islamic State group. The attack resulted in the death of a Polish woman in her 60s at Tiergarten park near the Brandenburg Gate on Saturday. The victim was attending the Christopher Street Day festivities with her daughter, who sustained injuries in the incident.
Ballout, a German national of Lebanese descent, was born and raised in Berlin, as confirmed by Germany’s interior minister. Police resorted to using lethal force against him when he charged at officers brandishing a bladed weapon.
In a separate incident, Ballout had been convicted in May for plotting a serious act of violence against the state and was sentenced to nearly two years in prison under juvenile law. He was granted temporary release under probation supervision, pending a decision on his sentence suspension. Prosecutors stated that the case revolved around Ballout’s alleged attempts to join ISIS in 2025.
Moreover, Ballout had a previous conviction in February 2022 for assault and robbery offenses committed during his teenage years. Chancellor Merz raised doubts about how Ballout managed to approach the Berlin Pride event while supposedly under surveillance, questioning the effectiveness of security measures in Germany.
Merz noted that the surveillance of convicted criminals falls under the jurisdiction of regional authorities but indicated his intent to explore potential changes to federal oversight. Additionally, a second suspect who was initially detained in connection with the incident has since been released, as confirmed by the German federal prosecutors’ office.